The Secret That We Keep
by Crown of Venus
Summary: AU. NonMagic. Cedric is the world's greatest secret agent. One night he is saved by a mysterious youth, a spy just like him. Just who is he? And what does he know? CDHP, some SBRL and minor CDCC.
1. The Mysterious Youth

The Secrets that we Keep

Chapter 1 – The Mysterious Youth

**A/N:** LOVE the Cedric/Harry pairing (as well as the Sirius/Remus pairing) to BITS! I'm not really all that fond of the Draco/Harry ship even though it's the most popular with Sirius/Remus coming up second. I think it's because that in lots of Draco/Harry fics, Harry is the Dominant one. HE MUST ALWAYS BE THE SUBMISIVE ONE! And who better than to be his strong and handsome Dominant partner? Why Cedric of course! Wow…that went on for forever and a day…hope you all enjoy!

**Summary:** AU. Non-Magic. Cedric Diggory is one of the world's most top-ranking spies. He has solved and cracked some of the most difficult cases and encountered some of the world's most dangerous criminals and crime lords but one in particular, Lord Voldemort, stands out as the one above them all. Though being a spy under an alias to hide his enemies from his friends and loved ones, Cedric still goes through life like an ordinary person, unknown to the rest of the world. During the day, Cedric runs the family company. At night, he becomes a secret agent. His ordinary life and his spy life were fairly balanced so he was capable of living the double-life without too much stress. That is until one night, he is completely trapped by his enemies, with no way to escape and completely out of ideas. Out of no where he is saved by a mysterious youth, a spy just like him. Just who is this boy? And how was he capable of captivating this lone-wolf spy?

——†——

It was about 5pm and Cedric had arrived home. He parked his car in one of the garages of the Diggory Estate. The large home became a lot quieter ever since his parents were murdered on the night of his graduation just hours after receiving his Legal Studies degree. He was out with a couple of friends that night to celebrate their graduation, but when he came home, the house was covered with police officers and ambulances. Cedric was paralyzed when he found out that his parents had been the recent victims of another one of Lord Voldemort's murders. Lord Voldemort was the number one crime lord in every single country. His minor crimes involve theft and terrorist alliances. He satisfies his quench for terror in killing, for no particular reason whatsoever. Many officers have tried countless times to find a pattern to his murder victims, but as sad as it was, they were all just ordinary civilians with nothing in common. Ending innocent lives seemed to be the sick freak's idea of a harmless hobby.

From that point on, he decided to put his barely-begun lawyer career aside and base the majority of his time on continuing his father's legacy as the President of the Diggory Steel Company which had been recently renamed, U.K. Steel **(1).** Although he didn't want to take over the family business, he knew he had to since he was an only child. His father could've easily picked out one of his executives to run the company by the time of his death so that his son could live his life as a lawyer, but Amos Diggory put his utmost trust in his only child.

In addition to continuing the family business, unknown to his friends and other family members, Cedric worked as a secret agent under the British Government. He wanted revenge and he vowed to get it no matter how long it took and no matter how many injuries he sustained. By day, he was President Diggory, the youngest president of a major industrial company in history (at 22, he is now 25), but by night, he was Agent Brock: secret spy. Cedric stared at an old family painting hanging high above the wall for all visitors to gaze upon entry to their home

"I'll do my best mother…father…I'll keep everything going the way it supposed to be. I hope you're proud."

When Cedric stepped into the library, he saw the head butler Abraham ("Abe" for short). Cedric smirked.

"I have finished washing the Badger master Diggory."

"Please Abe, just call me by my real name. I'm still not ready for formal titles just yet."

"My apologies Master Cedric." Cedric rolled his eyes.

"Can I get you something for Dinner?"

"Just a simple pasta dish for one if you don't mind. Just make sure it has a cheese sauce. I don't really care which one. Drop it off in my room when it's finished okay? Thanks again Abe."

"I shall return momentarily sir." Abe headed towards the kitchen.

Cedric walked his way towards the master bedroom. He engaged in a bit of small talk with the other maids and butlers on the way. He could never be more proud of such a friendly hired staff in his large and sometimes lonely home. He sat on his bed and pulled out some files on his night stand. There in his hands held the very case that had further inspired him to continue being a proud fighter for justice: "Case 48: The Genocide of the Potter-Evans Bloodline and the mysterious disappearance of their youngest heir".

When Cedric was 8 years old, the news channels and papers were hit with the story of the century. Lord Voldemort went on a killing spree and murdered the Aristocratic Potter Family. Every single member with the Potter Blood, even those by marriage were all killed. His followers in other countries have murdered even distant relatives of the Potters, resulting in the tragic end of a once well respected bloodline. The 6 direct members of the Potter Manor had their home raided and bombed on the night of July 29, 1987. Each family member had undergone stab wounds and multiple gunshots ensuring their death…or so it was reported. James, Lily, and three of their children Holly, Steven, and Cammy were all killed **(2)**. Their bodies were only partially incinerated as firefighters were able to extinguish the inferno before the house burned to the ground. What shocked reporters and officers alike was the missing body of their youngest child, formally disclosed to the public at the time of his birth (last year) as Harold Jamieson Potter – known amongst the general public as "The boy who vanished".

At first, the police wanted to inform the maternal side of Harold's family of his disappearance that night giving them hope of the possibility that he may be alive. Tragically Lily Potter's (neé Evans) only sister – who had a family of her own – was killed as well as their own distant relatives. From that moment on, all ties connected with the marriage of the Potter and the Evans families ended that fateful night. The death toll was 349 lives. Even if young Harold was alive, he would have no living relatives to take him in. Most of the family's friends never got a chance to know Harold all that well as he was not even a year old at the time. It was a dark moment in the history of the world. That was when Cedric's young heart went out to the Potter boy. He grew to have feelings of resentment towards Voldemort and everything he stood for.

Now 17 years later, the case had grown cold, but selected officers were still determined to find the missing Potter child. To this day, many people assumed that he had been taken in by a family and renamed or that sometime during those years, the poor boy had passed away. Many hearts, both young and old still continue to grieve for the wandering soul that cannot be put to rest.

Cedric was not going to give up. He was going to fight to the bitter end until Voldemort was destroyed and Harold was found. He himself had also wanted revenge against the bastard for killing his parents 3 years ago. Unlike the Potter Family, he and his relatives were spared, only his parents were the ones who got killed. They let him live and killed them as if they were just another point on their ever expanding list. Voldemort had sealed his coffin, and Cedric was going to be the one to bury him.

"Your pasta sir." Cedric jumped at the sudden voice.

"Oh…thanks Abe. It looks great." Cedric took a few bites before Abe spoke.

"Are you going out again tonight sir?" Cedric finished swallowing his recent bite and looked at Abe.

"Without a doubt Abe. It'll be a good way for me to stay calm."

"Stay calm sir?"

"Think of it as my stress reliever."

"I shall prepare your suit sir." Abe exited the room.

After a few more bites and glances at the case, Cedric dropped off the empty plate in the kitchen and headed for the library. He walked up to the second floor and grabbed a few books from different shelves. He then placed the books in specific empty spaces, on different shelves in a specific order. After the last book was in place, one of the pillars had a small section that slid open, revealing a hand and eye scanner. He placed his hand on the scanning pad and his eyes in front of a tiny camera.

"Confirmed…Welcome back…Agent Brock."

The bookshelf to his left slid open revealing a large tunnel. He walked through the tunnel and the book shelf returned to its original place. At the end of the tunnel was an elevator that he went through and down into the subterranean area of the Estate. Once he reached the bottom, he was at the heart of his hidden base: The Cavern. Inside the cavern was high tech machinery everywhere. Computers, vehicles for land, water, and sky, and a lab surrounded him on all sides. Right in the centre was a large circular table with a glowing blue light in the centre. One of the large computer screens flicked on and displayed on it was a man in a Military General's uniform.

"Agent Brock, welcome back."

"It's a pleasure to see you too General Colins."

"We have received news about Wormtail's latest heist."

"Voldemort's little rat?"

"It's not just your regular jewel or ancient artefact heist either. He broke into one of our meter stations close to the south eastern boarder of the community Bromley."

"What has he taken specifically?"

"Nothing seemed out of order. All that was missing were some online files regarding the Potter-Evans genocide."

"THAT old case? But why now?"

"We are not sure. We strongly believe however that he knows something that we don't. Why else would he go for something that would be of particularly no use to him or Voldemort. Whatever that rat is up to, we'll get him for it."

"Seems much too suspicious for my liking too but either way, he works for Voldemort, and we'll fork information out of him even if we have to torture him for it."

"No need for such drastic measures Brock. There are plenty of other ways to get a man to crack rather than brute force."

Cedric made a somewhat maniacal smirk. "It does however provide some therapeutic comfort"

Colins cleared his throat and continue on. "Now, our agents have kept an eye him upon his escape from the station." The light on the circular table shone upwards revealing a holograph of the city of London and then zoomed in to the south eastern community of Bromley. The meter station was a blinking red light. "He escaped, eventually ceasing all activity around 26 miles east, towards the end of the country on the shore of the North Sea. There is an old and abandoned shipping warehouse that is situated there. Our agents continued to follow him but we have not received any other information ever since his escape. We can assume that he has not moved ever since he arrived at that location."

"How long ago did this occur?"

"About 1 hour ago."

"This appears to be too much of an obvious attempt to trap intruders. But either way, this is the only lead we've got. Who knows, that warehouse could be a rendezvous point to hook up with Voldemort."

"Either way Brock, take extra caution. Wormtail may not be the most intelligent of henchmen, but he can finish the job properly. Also, check up on our agents should you find them there. Since we have received no reports from any of them for sometime, we have the suspicion that Wormtail may have captured them."

"Understood. Thank you sir. Agent Brock signing off!"

Colins gave a nod to Cedric before the screen shut off. Cedric then headed towards the change room and began to suit up for the capture**(3)**. For the finishing touch, he put on a black visor that he uses to not only conceal his identity but to also provide him with other abilities such as scanning and night vision. After moving around in the suit for a bit to gain its flexibility, Abe walked up behind him.

"Thanks again for getting it repaired Abe. I must say that this new design is MUCH better than the old one. It has more flexibility; it lets in air so my body doesn't over heat and, the gold designs on the shoulders add a REALLY nice touch."

"You're very welcome sir. I have also taken the liberty of having your utility belt's limited components restored. Are you off now sir?"

"Yes Abe…I'm ready."

Both men walked up some stairs towards an upper platform which held a black, armoured Jaguar XK Mark II which Cedric loved to call "The Badger". Cedric opened the door upwards and set himself in the driver's seat. He closed the door and adjusted himself. He brought down his window for a few final words to Abe.

"Abe…I can't thank you enough for everything you've done for me."

The butler made a smile. "It is no problem at all Master Cedric. You have been gracious enough to keep me in your Estate even after your parents' unfortunate tragedy. I have been serving your family even since your birth and am more than happy that you have given me the honour of continuing to do so. Your limitless hospitality is payment enough."

"Speaking of payment, remind me to give you a raise when I get back." Cedric gave him a 'thumbs up' and sped out of the cave.

"Be careful Master Cedric…"

——†——

"Computer, how much longer till we reach the old warehouse as these coordinates?"

"Roughly 20 more miles. Approximate time…18 minutes and 54 seconds."

"Thanks"

Cedric sped his way through the highways of Britain deep in the night.

_No matter what happens Voldemort, I will live to see the day that your blood is spilled and everyone that has lost their life at your hands will rest in peace, especially the Potter Family. I will find out what happened to Harold Potter even if it kills me. A kid like him deserved his right to live with a family…and you took that from him when he was still an infant…what you have done is unforgivable._

——†——

Sure enough, his computerized Jaguar was right on time. He parked the vehicle some distance away from the warehouse and used the cloaking device on it to make it invisible. Thanks to his visor, he had the night vision adequate for an evening of kick ass. He was in the mood to beat someone up. No light, no witnesses, and no other sounds other than the light tide splashing against the rocky beach.

Cedric stealthily made his way towards the back of the warehouse. He turned on the anti-gravity device of his boots and activated the small spikes on the palm of his hands. He quietly scaled the concrete wall and made his way to the metal roof. Conveniently, there was large hole in the top of the warehouse – probably from a violent hailstorm. He peeked inside the hole and inside the warehouse. He attached some climbing wire onto the side of the hole and trailed his way straight down inside the building. Once he landed, he detached the wire from his belt buckle and scanned his surroundings. The place seemed empty except for a heat emitting source ahead of him. He was about to walk towards it but all of a sudden the lights were flicked on, and in front of him was a hunched figure wrapped in a cloak.

"Wormtail!" The figure made a whimpering noise and then a maniacal laugh. The voice was definitely not wormtail's but a woman's.

"Who are you!"

"Who am I? My dear boy, you shall have the honour of gracing you with my presence." The woman stood straight up and tossed the cloak aside. She was beautiful, but her eyes showed that she was definitely sinister. Her long black hair trailed down her back and the elegant black dress she wore was swaying the slight breeze. Her right leg was partially exposed due to the long slit in the dress from her hip to the bottom.

"Y-you…you're…"

"That's right! Lord Voldemort's leading lady: Bellatrix. I must say, our lord sure attracts very handsome enemies. If every other man of justice is like you, I should suggest to my lord to kill more people." She let out a howling laugh.

"You disgust me!"

"Oh ho ho. Quite the tongue you got there. You're as feisty as you are handsome. I love a man with a backbone."

"How can you serve a man such as Voldemort? He's a monster!"

"On the contrary, he's a saint! He's merely cleansing the world and getting rid of the filthy trash that pollutes the land."

"You bitch! How can you think if innocent lives as garbage? They've done absolutely nothing to you. How can you laugh at them as if their lives mean nothing?"

"Simple! Like this!" She let out another howling laugh. "Nothing else matters to me other than the reign of my lord and eternal beauty. I myself care not for filthy humans. Like those Potters for example, they gave us noble rich families a disgusting reputation by marrying a commoner. All the more reason for them to go out the door and into the dumps." Bellatrix gave a sinister smile as she made that last comment.

"I DARE YOU TO SAY THAT AGAIN!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that love. I refuse to repeat myself to a mere boy such as you. Although, I might reconsider if you show what lies behind the visor."

"May you burn in the fires of Hades!"

"And may you suffer eternal torment for stepping into the wrong territory." She snapped her fingers and out of no where came out countless henchmen armed with weapons of all kinds.

"Oh and by the way…if you were looking for Wormtail, he left some time ago. My guess is sometime between our little 'lover's spat' so to speak."

"YOU–" Cedric was about to advance forward until a thug stepped right in front of him.

"Ciao for now handsome. Take care of him boys. But make sure he lives, I'd like to see him again next time." Bellatrix walked out of the warehouse with her hair and dress elegantly flowing behind her.

"Come on Pretty boy…let's see what you got!"

The sound of a car was heard driving away in the distance.

_Damn…_Cedric then focused his attention on the 50+ ugly henchmen.

"You wanna dance? Then let's dance." Cedric made swift kick for the nearest guy's head and knocked him aside. Immediately, the rest of them advanced on him. Kicks and punches were thrown left and right. He was able to successfully knock some of them out but not without consequence. He had multiple blind spots which resulted in him getting attacked by a weapon or a fist. Cedric didn't know how long he'd been fighting. No matter how many he was able to take care of, more just kept coming for him. The numbers seemed endless. Cedric was given a swift kick to the gut which slammed him up against the wall. He was clutching the wall as his exposed arms and a bit of his face were cut, bruised, and bleeding. His torso was stinging and his breathing was becoming ragged.

"Not bad…for a kid. What do ya say? Although Bella wants you alive, we'll spare you the pain and kill you quickly so you won't have to suffer anymore." The rest of the standing guys made a laugh. Cedric smirked and gave a little laugh as well.

"You're pretty terrible henchmen if you do the exact opposite of your superior's orders. She's not gonna be too thrilled should she find my lifeless body fallen by your hands."

Cedric reached for his grappling hook and shot it up towards the hole in the roof that he came from. He flew up towards the hole and hopefully out into safety. Unfortunately, the arrows from multiple crossbows were shot at him. None of them made contact with his body and he was relieved, but his eyes widened in surprise when he saw what they were aiming for: the hook's cord. A bunch of them made contact with the cord and it eventually snapped.

He flipped through the air a bit but he shot out a second grappling hook towards the open windows. This time, a few henchmen threw scimitars at the cord as if they were boomerangs. As the second cord snapped, Cedric tried to pull out the garrotte wire from his watch, but out of no where, multiple smoke bombs were flown in his direction, completely blinding his sight. He had no time to react for the scanning tool on his visor and consequently he began to fall haplessly from his height.

He screamed as he fell, painfully landing on top of a pile of crates.

"unnngh…" His visor was cracked, but it wasn't broken. He tried to regain his focus. Once he did, he was surrounded by the guys again, all towering over him with grins on their faces.

"We knew you'd escape the way you came in. Did you like it? I made the hole myself."

_Dammit! This was planned!_

"You're getting boring now since you're probably tired. So we'll be nice and kill you now." Every single one of them aimed a gun right at him.

_Bastards…I'm not going to let myself get killed THIS easily…_

Cedric's right pointer finger was right next to a little latch on his belt that would release a blinding flash of light used to blind large groups of opponents. He was about to unleash it but he heard the sound of a gun being fired. For some reason it didn't hit him. One of the guys let out a piercing scream and fell to the ground in a dead heap. Cedric opened his eyes and struggled to sit up. Along with all of the standing henchmen, their eyes were directed up towards the figure standing on one of the windows, illuminated by the moonlight.

"Hold it right there!" Cedric's eyes widened in surprise. Who had sent him help?

The figure flipped off of the window sill and landed on the ground with silent grace. The light of the warehouse lit up the figure completely. It turns out that Cedric's 'assistance' appeared to be a boy who looked no older than 17 - 18 at the most - much to the older spy's (as well as the goons') surprise. Like Cedric, he was wearing a visor to conceal his identity. The boy's attire consisted of a navy blue sleeveless turtle neck with a silver lion design located on his left pectoral. Adorning his lower body were (what seemed to be) very formfitting combat pants which were tucked into his black, knee-high, laceless combat boots. His hands were covered with fingerless gloves and situated around both of his biceps were two black lycra bands - Cedric assumed they were merely for aesthetic purposes. The boy's pitch black hair shone in the light.

"Who do you think you are brat?"

"My name is of no importance to you, but since you asked, you can call me…Godric." Without even a chance for the thugs to respond, the boy leaped into the air and gave a very heavy kick to one guy's face. He began to throw kicks everywhere while combining them with gunshots. Through Cedric's eyes, it was a sight to behold: a magnificent dance of death.

With all of his might, Cedric stood up and joined forces with the boy. He clenched his right fist and out of his knuckled gloves came out five brilliant, platinum claws (**A/N:** ok ok I give. I admit I basically copied wolverine…DON'T SUE ME!). While most of the guys had their backs turned, Cedric made a heavy kick to the nearest guy's head, knocking him unconscious. Along with the mysterious new boy, Cedric combined his deadly fighting skills with the aid of his weapon. The henchmen were out matched.

Within minutes, all but one of them was on the ground, either dead or knocked out. Only one guy was left and he was cowering in fear. Godric stared at the pathetic henchman through his navy blue visor. Although the man was scurrying away in fright, the boy showed no remorse and shot the escaping henchman without a second thought; well…if you could count a severe gunshot to the leg as showing 'no remorse.'

Cedric collapsed to one knee and grunted as his abs gave out a sharp pain. Godric walked up to Cedric and knelt next to him both pulling off his gloves and taking out a tiny canister from his utility belt. He placed the ointment that was inside of it in his bare hands. He began to rub it on Cedric's injured arms earning him a hiss from the older man.

"I can sympathize…although this stuff hurts like hell, you'll be better by tomorrow." The boy offered a small smile. "However, you're on your own for the injuries underneath your armour."

"W-who are you?"

"In a moment."

Without warning, the boy then placed some more ointment in his hands and began rubbing it on Cedric's face to which the older spy froze in surprise. The boy's hands were soft and smooth to the touch, and even though the faint scent of leather was present amidst the action, Cedric found that he didn't mind it one bit. The boy was gentle. His cheeks were being caressed as if they were made of thin glass. This thought, coupled with the relaxing and almost sensual motion of the body's massaging hands made Cedric's face heat up in both gratitude and slight embarassment. Acting on impulse, Cedric grabbed the boys' wrists and held them in place. The boy gasped but exhaled softly as Cedric held on to the boy's wrists in a gentle manner. The older spy brought the two them together as he clasped the younger boy's hands within his own.

"I can't thank you enough for saving me. Please…if there is any form of repayment that you wish, don't hesitate to ask."

Godric gave a little 'hmph' as he tossed the little canister of ointment into Cedric's hands. Cedric easily caught it and tucked it safely away.

"Just brush up on your escaping skills."

Cedric blushed and gave a smile at the boy.

"I'll keep that in mind."

The pair stood up and looked at each other. The younger one spoke up.

"There are some officers I found underneath this warehouse before making my way in here. The bad part is that the basement is slowly filling up with water. If we're not fast enough, they could drown. Come on."

Cedric followed the boy to a door in the distance. Through them they went down a few flights of stairs and eventually into half-flooded basement.

"I'll get the four officers here, you grab the remaining two on the right."

The boy nodded and dove into the water, swimming for the tied up officers. It took some time, but they were able to save all six of them and bring them up out of the flooded basement and onto the grass outside. Thankfully they were all breathing but it seemed as though they've been drugged not too long ago. Cedric called the paramedics and gave them their location. He then turned around and noticed the boy walking away.

"Wait!" He ran up to him. "I never got the chance to introduce myself. I'm Agent Brock, and I am in your debt."

To Cedric's surprise, he was gretted back with a slight scoff from the younger spy. "Don't flatter me. I may have saved you tonight but don't count on me doing it too often. I know that you're after Voldemort, but don't think that you're the only one whose got a score to settle with that wretched excuse of a human. No matter who gets in my way, I will be the one to put an end to that bastard's miserable life for plaguing our societ, and no one is going to stop me."

Cedric was taken a back. Just a little while ago, this boy saved his life, tended to his wounds and helped him save a couple of incapacitated officers with a stern but nonetheless professional attitude. Now it seemed like he was talking to a completely different person. But just then, Cedric had a thought.

"You know, since we have similar goals, why don't we pair up? We both want Voldemort gone right? I won't ask for your reasons why but all in all, I believe that we have the same ulterior motive."

Cedric hoped that he could work with this boy. He was good. He seemed to be a spy just like himself and so by simple logic, two minds together would work a lot more efficient and faster than both of them individually. But once again, Cedric was greeted back with resistance.

"Thanks but no thanks. I work alone. Consider tonight your lucky break as it is very unlikely to happen again."

He began to walk away until Cedric grabbed his arm and unconsciously brought their bodies close together.

"Why won't you accept my help?"

The boy blushed but thankfully for him, Cedric didn't see it.

"Just as I said, I don't need any...AND I work alone." The boy gave a swift punch to Cedric's stomach with his free hand and back flipped away while he was hunched over. When Cedric finally regained his composure he looked up: the boy had vanished from sight.

"…Godric…"

TBC

——†——

**A/N:** I know I kind of gave this story a little bit of a Batman-motif but hey, trying new things feels good. Not a bad start if I say so myself. All you readers out there tell me what you think by Replying! Flamers will obviously not be tolerated. I will tolerate constructive criticism but obvious hate replies will be dealt with personally.

**(1)** Idea based off Andrew Carnegie: founder of the Carnegie Steel Company later named U.S. Steel.

**(2)** I actually know some one named Steven Potter so that's why I used his names. The other two girls I tried to name then in a similar fashion to their mother: after flowers. Holly and Cammy (short for Camelia)

**(3)** Visual for Cedric/Agent Brock's "Spy Uniform" - If any of you watch X-Men: Evolution, my idea for Cedric's uniform is basically Wolverine's outfit (the navy blue one, not the orange one) but in place of the "X" located on both the belt buckle and on the left pectoral, silver "Crown of Laurels" design


	2. Deception

The Secrets that we Keep

Chapter 2 – Deception

**A/N:** Sorry I practically ignored this fic. It's just that I've been super busy with school. Plus I also got Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria for my PS2. Pre-ordered! I haven't stopped playing the game ever since I got it! It's like crack! Long story short…I bought it Sep 27, beat it yesterday, Oct 15…HELL YEAH! In other news, I hope you guys keep reading my story!

Also, I've been spending a lot of my time on my more mainstream success Naruto boy love story, **Enchantress**. That's been getting a LOT more attention than any of my other stories so I had to keep up with it. But now I'm at a writer's block for it so I'm going back to my untouched HP fics.

Oh and for you X-men fans…I'm currently writing another boy love fic with Angel and my own original character named "Frey". Story titled **Sacred Aether**. Check it out if you like!

——†——

Cedric was sitting his large office atop of U.K. Steel's headquarters. He was going through some more paper work regarding the company's expansion but half of his attention kept lingering on from that event about two nights ago. The boy who mysteriously titled himself as "Godric" hadn't left his thoughts. Although being in the 'spy-business' himself for only a couple of years, he's always worked alone. Then out of the blue, another spy, a teenager none the less, pops out of no where and saves him…well aided him anyway. As much as Cedric's pride didn't want to admit it, the boy didn't save his life, he just merely showed up in the right place at the right time. Still though, if it wasn't for him, he would have questionable marks on himself that would not look good in the eyes of his co-workers and the general public. If it wasn't for him, the lives of the incapacitated officers they found would've ended that night.

He didn't know why, but he continued to wonder when he would encounter the black-haired youth again. Chances may have been slim since he pointed out that he too was a lone-wolf, but he had a feeling that the probability wasn't at zero. Cedric wanted to get to know this new addition to the secret agent community and find out his true motives. The phone on his desk began to light up. Cedric picked it up and noticed the caller ID display.

"Yes Bridgette?"

The woman on the other line spoke in a very quiet voice but Cedric still heard every word of it. "He requests your attention…" Cedric's attention became serious and he gently set the phone down on his desk. He silently walked to his door, closed it and locked it. He pressed a nearby switch and all of the large windows around his office were covered by the automated blinds. He walked over to his desk and sat back down. "Many thanks Bridgette." Cedric hung up and gave his secretary a ring.

"Hello President Diggory, what can I do for you?"

"Lynette, can you inform anyone who requests my presence to leave a message with you? I have an urgent phone call that I have to engage in and I must not – under any circumstances – be interrupted."

"I will man my post and activate the land mines sir." She jokingly laughed. Cedric in turn shared a laugh.

"Never a dull moment with you isn't it Lynette? Pass it on to Estelle alright? Many thanks again."

"Anytime President Diggory."

Cedric hung up and wiped away the sand from a feng shui sand box decoration on his desk to reveal a hidden number pad **(1)**. He pressed a series of numbers and then flicked a switch right next to it which was disguised as a standing pen. In front of him appeared a medium sized flat screen. General Colins was calling.

"Good morning Agent Brock, I hope I didn't catch you at a bad time."

"Not at all General"

"I see Bridgette has successfully informed you of my call."

"Yes she has…so General…what have we got today?"

"Oddly enough, we have received a peculiar package today at one of our agencies. It has been opened in an anti-explosive isolation chamber with the use of mechanical and animatronic limbs to aid in the package's exposure. It had no return address so automatically we assumed it was an explosive or something hazardous."

"What have you uncovered?"

"We have taken it apart multiple times, scanned and identified each part multiple times and found no trace evidence of harmful materials."

"In short…"

"An ordinary music box…"

"A music box huh? What kind of melody did it play?"

"We like to assume that its melody is classical. None of our workers are really all that in depth in the background of music. This is why we contacted you."

"For help on an unidentifiable song?"

"As strange as it sounds yes…please Brock, we'd like to have an expert's analysis of it. It may give us a clue about you know who."

Cedric sighed "Alright I give in, play it for me." Colins nodded and let the music box play its melody over the picture phone. The melody was familiar to Cedric. It was on the tip of his tongue…he just knew it.

"Anything?"

"Yeah…as odd as it is, it's not an actual classical music composition." The soothing melody continued to play. "Despite its soothing yet haunting melody, it sounds like a lullaby…and call me crazy but I think this song is supposed to have lyrics with it too. I mean it sounds beautiful the way it is but somehow it seems like an instrumental version of a lyrical song."

"What could it mean?"

"I'll get back to you on it. Inform your technicians to loop the song and upload it to my computer in the Cavern. Tell your agents to keep working on the music box's song with what I've given you. If you haven't discovered anything new by the time I get home, I will work on it myself. Besides, I have a company to run."

"My apologies Brock. We can't thank you enough for your help."

Cedric nodded and turned off the picture phone. He also got rid of the blinds, unlocked the door to his office, and informed his two secretaries that his call had just "finished". He was to leave work in only 2 hours but he still had Godric as well as that strange melody in his head.

——†——

It was nighttime and Cedric was stealthily driving in the Badger towards one of London's most spectacular – and tallest – hotels, The Valiant. Apparently someone hacked into his computer system and sent him a little note. The tone of the short letter made him realize who it was despite the lack of a signature.

_I would like to meet up with you once again boy-scout. Judging from your secret agent-persona that you have so cleverly crafted right beneath Lord Voldemort's nose, there must definitely lay a man of intelligence behind the brute and the beauty. I will be located at these coordinates. I promise you, our second meeting will only be between the two of us…no strings attached. I eagerly await your presence once again._

Cedric made a feral growl and continued to drive. He would have to deal with the music box melody some other time.

——†——

Surely enough, Cedric had arrived at the same street the hotel was located on. He parked some distance away in a wide field and turned on the Badger's invisibility device. He climbed to the top of an apartment complex across the street and used a grappling hook to locate himself to the top of the hotel. He felt like a petty criminal as he had to break in through the ventilation system and use the fire escape staircases. There had to be a lot of electronic tampering for him to accomplish such a feat without attracting any attention from the cameras and alarms. It's not like a hotel – let alone a very popular hotel among the rich – wouldn't have security right, left, center, above, below, and any thing in between.

He punched a large vent screen that was right beneath him and slipped through the opening, landing gracefully onto the hardwood dance floor. He was in the Victorian Ballroom, located on the top most floor of the hotel.

"Show yourself! I know you're here…" As if on command, an elegant figure appeared from the shadows.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk…the heart of a hero but the manners of a caveman? I thought so highly of you boy-scout. Is that anyway to treat a lady, let alone within the ballrooms of London's most spectacular hotel?"

Bellatrix appeared in a skin tight black leather outfit **(2)** with her hair in a tight bun.

"I've arrived…what do you want?" Cedric demanded forcefully.

"Me? I thought that request was pretty obvious…YOU of course. After bearing witness to your 'defender of justice' image I knew you were someone worthy of my time." All of a sudden, the lights turned on as Bellatrix gently sat down on one of the bar's stools. Apparently, there were two martini glasses on top of the counter with Wormtail dressed up as a high class bouncer – carelessly wiping up a mug.

"Care for a drink?" she flirtatiously said.

"No thanks…" Bella merely shrugged her shoulders and drank her beverage.

"You know it's not everyday Lord Voldemort holds a grudge against one person for more than a day. He has taken a current interest in you after interfering with a few of his plans a few years ago – such as that tomb raid in Egypt and that hostage situation with Archduke Friedrich of Austria." She took another sip.

"Your actual pledge to capture him, imprison him in the infamous Azkaban for his crimes and eventually sentence him to death after solitary confinement for countless murders – more famously of that Potter filth – have branded you as a thorn in his side." She smirked. "Despite your heroic catch phrases…you are very much like our Lord in terms of philosophies."

Cedric became angered at such a claim.

"How DARE you compare me to your sick master! He and I are NOTHING alike. He is the vilest human being that has even been given the right to exist." He spat out coldly.

"Oh?...It seems as though you want him to be driven to insanity before having him killed…like I said, you are just like him: tracking down those who do wrong in your eyes and have them pay for their sins through the proper form of judgment. That seems about right to me…the only difference would be your target objectives: while you go after him, he goes after the filthy…and that's what I like about you. You're so much like the Lord of chaos." She made a sly look in her eyes.

Cedric growled and Bellatrix couldn't help but smirk. She finished her drink and elegantly walked up right in front of him. She held out her hand in a very lady-like manner. Out of no where a classical piano ballad began to play – possibly the result of Wormtail activating the record player.

"It's customary for a man to escort a woman on to the dance floor."

If Bellatrix wanted mind games, then she would get one. Like the proper gentleman he was raised to be, Cedric took the ebony-haired woman's hand and brought her on to the floor. They properly positioned themselves and began to dance to the music. It was around 5 minutes before Bellatrix spoke up.

"Now isn't this fun? I must say you really are quite the gentleman. You even know how to ballroom dance properly. Strong and sturdy muscles, a powerful and cognitive mind, and proper socializing skills to top off this magnificent statue of perfection…although that animal-like temper of yours could be put to better use…let's see…what lies beneath…"

Before she even moved her hand, Cedric's right arm immediately clutched hers in an attempt he knew all too well: someone wanted to know his identity. He added an extra hard grip on her wrist to make sure a nice bruise would be left there, and a broken bone for an added bonus.

"OW!" and there came the bonus.

Bellatrix growled herself after such an act and clutched her painful wrist. Cedric couldn't help but chuckle.

"You brat! I'll teach you to injure a woman!"

"On the contrary, you have yet to prove to me you're a woman in any way."

"You…" she said in a tone full of venom. "I tried to be nice to you, and this is the thanks I get? You've made your biggest mistake angering Voldemort's Black Widow!" From her gloved fingertips protruded long bladed nails. Cedric too unleashed his own claws from the tops of his gloved hands.

"AHHHHHH!"

Bella let out a maniacal scream as she dashed for Cedric with her sharp claws. The two fought for sometime with the sound the clashing metal echoing across the entire room.

The battle seemed like a stalemate until Cedric aimed a perfectly timed and heavy kick to Bella's stomach. The wind was knocked out of her as she was knocked down to the floor. Her breathing was erratic and the pure emotion of hate was in her breath. After a few moments, she leaped up from the floor and made a clear swipe for Cedric's face. He just barely dodged it as two thin cuts were made across his right cheek.

Bellatrix back flipped away to the nearest window and clutched on to the glass with her un-clawed hand.

"This is NOT over boy-scout!" she made a heavy back handed punch to the window as it made a loud shattering noise, completely destroyed. The alarm throughout the entire hotel was heard.

"AHAHAHAH! You have five minutes until security comes up and sees you! Your days as a crime fighter are over! The emergency exits are locked, the air vents are sealed, and the only way to get out is through this window! Unless you can survive a 32 story fall, there's no way to escape unnoticed! The only safe way out is through the guards, and I doubt you'll be on their welcome list if you barge right through them by force. Oh and by the way…I think you would find this little tidbit VERY thought provoking. That filthy little runt known to the public as "The Boy who Vanished"…we are only a breath away from locating his whereabouts. LONG LIVE LORD VOLDEMORT!"

With that said, Bella leaped out of the broken window. Cedric ran over to it to see if she committed suicide but apparently she was safely fleeing with the use of a hidden black hang glider that was somehow undetected by him. He looked around and noticed that Pettigrew had vanished as well.

_Dammit…how does that rat always manage to escape?_

"HE'S IN THE VICTORIA BALLROOM!"

"SURROUND ALL OF THE EXITS!"

In a matter of moments, the doors were busted open and he was surrounded by 14 armed hotel security guards.

"HALT! PUT YOUR HANDS ABOVE YOUR HEAD!"

Cedric felt as though he was screwed royally. He was beginning to question his skills as a spy and wondered why he became so rusty after he was doing such a good job a few years back. _Mom, Dad, Abe, Harry…forgive me…_He willingly surrendered and began to move his hands up.

"DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!"

_Huh?_ The sound of a young voice invaded the ballroom. Out of no where, a young teen hopped around from table to table and gracefully flipped through the air on to the dance floor in front of Cedric.

"GODRIC!"

Without a moment's notice, the boy threw out a number of small balls in a fan-shape motion in front of him. Upon contact with the ground, the balls exploded into a large cloud of grey smoke causing the guards to shield their eyes and cough out the ashy substance.

"This way!" The boy grabbed on to Cedric's arm and led him to the window that Bellatrix had escaped through.

"Here…I'm assuming this is yours? I don't know how to use one of these so make yourself useful. Aim for one of the legs of that water silo above that building."

Cedric nodded and took the grappling hook from the boy's hands. He shot it out and just like that, it latched on tightly to the structure's leg.

"Hang on tight!"

Cedric instinctively wrapped his free arm around Godric's slim waist, held on to him tightly and leaped out of the window, swinging through the air in a wide arc. They quietly landed on the sidewalk and ran directly into an alley way and back up against a wall – Cedric's arm never left the boy's waist. They heard the sirens of the police force ringing everywhere. Cedric held his breath but Godric calmly opened up the backpack that was around his back and pulled out a strange silvery colored cloak **(3)**. He flung the garment around the both of them as he moved closer to press up against the older boy's body. Cedric couldn't help but blush at the sudden action.

"U-um…"

"Be quiet…what's around us right now is an invisibility cloak. If we don't make any noise, not even an animal could locate us."

"Alright" In order to give him a little more security, Cedric wrapped his other arm around the boy, completely embracing him.

——†——

Once they saw a squad of officers and cars in front of the hotel, they figured that was the proper time to escape, assuming that no more reinforcements were on their way. They eventually made their way towards a park with a nice arrangement of trees and shrubbery to hide behind. They caught their breaths for a moment before talking to each other.

"Thanks…that's twice already…" Cedric now had to admit, the boy had skill, and he knew how to use them.

"Save me your gratitude" the raven haired teen was putting away his invisibility cloak. "

You're not really living up to your reputation as a spy if you keep getting caught up in messes like this."

"I-I know…I've been thinking about being completely prepared for anything next time."

"Hmph…having to correct the mistakes of a spy who's older than me and whose had more experience in this field than me? Has quality really reached its ending point among agents these days?"

Cedric couldn't help but feel guilty at the boy's retort. He was probably a good ten years his junior and yet his skills would have been comparable to a 1st class Agent, while he himself had to be rescued by this boy twice in the span of three days. He almost didn't notice the boy walking away.

"Godric wait!" Cedric ran up to the boy and gripped on to his hand, yanking him straight into his chest.

"Wh-what do you want you mishap!"

"Don't leave this time…please…like I said last time, we have the same goals. You could have left me to be arrested but you didn't…." Cedric took a breath. "Please join with me…your skills as a fellow spy has really impressed me. I may be older, but I myself am still in the learning process. Side with me, and teach me how to be flawless like you."

Godric couldn't help but feel awkward. Here was a man, older than himself, asking him, a teenager, for help. Although being 18 wasn't technically a teenager, he was in denial and refused to believe he was an adult just yet. Still…he felt oddly warm whenever Brock held on to him. And that hug…what was that all about? He felt as though his chest was swelling up to incredible sizes. He had to admit that Brock's broad chest was invitingly firm.

"So…it's an alliance you want with me right?"

"Yes…"

"And you're more than willing to listen to everything I have to say to you even though I'm the younger one here?"

"Absolutely…"

"And you're positive that you would like to have ME as a team-mate?"

"…more than anything…"

Godric could hear the sincerity in Brock's voice. But…his pride got in the way. Maybe he would have liked to have another spy as a partner, but right now, he wasn't in the mood. He cautiously moved up closer to Brock, chest-to-chest like they did a while ago. Cedric's mouth was getting dry and his face was getting slightly warm. He was very anxious due to the boy's silence but felt it slip away as he felt the boy begin to gently massage his right cheek. He was rubbing that same ointment that he used when the first met, on the fresh cuts of Bellatrix's lunatic attack. Cedric once again leaned into the touch.

After tending to Brock's wounds, Godric leaned closer towards the older boy's face. Cedric thought that the boy was going to kiss him and he almost did had he not bit his lip and surfaced a lot of self-control. He blamed it all on his hormones in addition to the tantalizing mysteriousness of this boy.

"My answer is…" Godric gently dragged his fingertips across his cheek down to Cedric's chin and gently pulled him closer.

_Is…is he going to?_

Cedric was slowly closing his eyes, eagerly waiting for the kiss. Little did he know that Godric gently blew a fine powder right into his face.

"H-hey! What the-" Cedric all of a sudden collapsed to the ground among the bushes.

"Five minutes…let's just hope that no one will catch you during that time."

TBC

——†——

**A/N:** Alright where here's chapter two for ya! I originally had more in this chapter but it would have been like 4500 words long. Yikes. So I cut back on a large chunk of material and now I've reduced it to 3500 words. Stay tuned for chapter 3!

**(1)** Still confused? If any of you have seen the movie **Josie and the Pussycats** starring Rachel Leigh Cook, Rosario Dawson, and Tara Reid (pre-crazy), then think of the number pad that Fiona (played by Parker Posey) uses to show the world leaders her underground lair.

**(2)** Think of Uma Thurman's yellow Kill bill outfit but black.

**(3)** Return of the invisibility cloak! I didn't want to use the "electronic invisible cloaking device located on the utility belt" type of thing. It's just a bit overused.


	3. Dangerous and Moving

The Secret that we Keep

Chapter 3 – Dangerous and Moving

**A/N:** Believe it or not, the first part was actually part of chapter 2 but it didn't really fit in so…I decided to make it its own chapter! Once again, try to bear with the super late updating. Oh yeah, and I got the chapter title from a T.A.T.U. song.

Oh and for those of you who can remember my author's comment from chapter 1, I deleted **Born Divided, Grown United**. I literally ran out of ideas for that story and I felt that the characterization and plot were one of the poorest things I've ever written. But aside from that, on with chapter 3!

——†——

A young boy of 18 years woke up from the sun's rays through the window. He was rubbing the sleep out of his light blue eyes and ran a hand through his slightly scruffy mane of light brown hair – with a few blond high lights. He sat up and continued to stretch his upper body, getting rid of as many kinks as he can. His bedroom door opened and from it appeared a butler.

"They're awaiting your presence in the dining hall young master."

"Thanks Armand. Tell them I'll be down after I'm ready."

The butler nodded and closed the large door. The boy got out of bed, gathered up his school uniform and began to head for his washroom. After he finished bathing and cleaning up, he put on his grey slacks and shoes, a buttoned up white dress shirt underneath a formfitting grey v-neck top (adorning his schools crest and colors – white and blue) and matching tie, topped off with a dashing white blazer (also with school crest). He gathered his school bags and headed down for the dining hall. **(1)**

In the hall at the one end of the large table were his two guardians. Sitting at the very end reading a newspaper was a very handsome man by the name of Sirius Black, his father. His long, black hair was loose and ended just passed his shoulder blades. His stormy blue eyes were scanning over the Arts and Entertainment section.

To Sirius' right was his other guardian and 'motherly figure', Remus Lupin. His youthful hazel eyes were scanning over a few reports from work. From time to time his sandy blond hair would get into his eye sight and would therefore have to brush a few of the uncooperative strands away.

Both men looked up when they noticed their child walking near and gave him a smile.

"Good morning Romulus ready to begin the new week?"

"Don't remind me Sirius. As mandatory as it is to go to school, I'd rather stay in bed."

"Wouldn't we all love that? Well don't slack off now Romy. Even though you graduate this year, you still have post-secondary to worry about. But don't worry about it if you don't have a plan yet. We'll give you all the time necessary for you decide what you truly want to have as a profession." Remus replied with a smile.

"You mean it? Like, I can take a whole year off if I wanted?!"

"Of course! I can sympathize. It's not easy deciding on what you want to go into the work force as. Along with your senior year and only a 2 month summer holiday, that's not really much time to think about a profession if you don't have one in mind yet. Plus there is also the troublesome process of registering and buying books, it gets hectic if you do it last minute. Remember Romulus, this is your life we're talking about and we're more than willing to support any decision that you make. We want to make sure you remain happy." Both guardians smiled at their child.

"You guys…" Romulus happily sat down to Sirius' right and began to eat the prepared breakfast before him consisting of hash browns, sausages and eggs, an English muffin and an orange on the side and a nice cool glass of milk.

Sirius set down his paper and turned on the large flat screen TV that was situated behind him. He turned around in his chair with a cup of coffee in his hands.

_In other news today, young President of U.K. Steel, Cedric Diggory has announced that he would like to expand the company beyond the United Kingdom's boarders. Locations of manufacturing plants are generally favouring neighbouring countries such as France and Spain._

"_It's a good idea to start off small that is why we are initially extending our borders to the neighbouring countries. Once we have a steady foundation and we are comfortable with how things are being run, we will then proceed to expand to the other economic giants across the world." – President Diggory _

_Future locations have been disclosed, as Russia, and extending to the far western and eastern countries of America, Canada, and Japan. The reign of the promising Steel factory, founded by his late father Amos Diggory has been proven to be a valuable asset to our rapidly growing economy. Multi-million dollar automotive industries across the globe such as the America's Toyota and General Motors, Germany's Volkswagen, and Japan's Honda have been enthusiastic of acquiring U.K. Steel's metallic inventory in order to build the newer and more durable automotives of the future. Young Cedric has proven that he is more than capable of living up to the company's pride and his family name. Great promises and high hopes have been placed on this young man's strive to persevere._

"He's certainly done well for himself."

"It's been much too long. When was the last time we saw him, when he was only a 2nd year in Primary School?

"Yup. He was a cute little lad."

"Amos and Lana must've been very proud to have him for a son."

"Hey guys, I uh hate to interrupt or anything but how did you two know President Diggory?"

"His parents were friends of ours. Back then, Sirius was still a Law Student and I was an intern as a physician for the Hospital. We first met in school during our Upper Sixth year, much like you are now **(2)**.

We were friends but then we kind of lost contact once it was time for us to be admitted in University. It wasn't until about 5 years later when both Amos and Lana got married. 3 years after that, Lana gave Birth to Cedric. During that time however, Amos was rarely home but he continued on with his life and founded The Diggory Steel Company, better known as U.K. Steel today by the time he was 32 – I believe Cedric would've been about 5 at that time.

Lana decided to become a stay-at-home mother but still offered her knowledge of business to her husband and the growing company as much as she could. And then…that night…around 3 years ago…" Remus shook his head a little bit.

"Oh dear, I seem to be rambling. Finish up your breakfast Romulus. I'll inform Armand to get the car ready."

Romulus knew that Remus was going to bring up the night of Cedric's Parent's murder but he decided to play dumb and not press on about it. "Sure thing Remus!" Within 5 minutes, Romulus had completely cleared his plate of what was supposed to be a hearty breakfast. Sirius grinned at his son's eating habits. Despite bearing a closer resemblance to Remus, his personality weighed highly on his side.

"See ya you two…don't be too lonely without me alright?" Romulus said with a wink.

"We never do. Stay out of trouble sport!"

"Sure thing Sirius! Bye guys!"

Just like that, Romulus was out the door and on his way to Academy Regalia. Remus sighed and slumped back into his chair. Sirius noticed his life partner's discomfort and gave him a reassuring hug.

"Hey, come now, it's only Thursday...I mean, I don't really like them that much since it's not Friday but there's no need to be sad about it." Sirius nuzzled Remus' neck and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Remus laughed a bit.

"I know you mean well Sirius but–" Remus made his way to one of the large windows of their Estate. "I can't help but feel a little guiltier every time…I mean, before we know it he won't need to depend on us anymore and decide to move out of the house to find a place of his own." Remus raised a hand to his forehead.

"He deserves the truth. Sure we gave him a home to live in, practically a castle, with all the luxuries and benefits of being so privileged…but somehow I feel like his heart is still incomplete." Sirius could not stand seeing Remus like this. He embraced the sandy blond from behind and looked out the window facing the sunlit courtyard. The gates were opening; Romulus and Armand had just left.

"Remus…we knew this day would come…"

"I know, but why did it have to come so soon?" Remus' eyes began to water. "I care for him too much Sirius and he deserves to know what lies beneath. We have waited for too long." Sirius tightened his hold.

"Tomorrow love, that way he won't have this weighing on his mind when he's at school. It's not going to be easy, but he will have to understand that we love him unconditionally."

Remus directed his attention to some white birds in the large fountain down below. "Romulus…"

——†——

It was the typical day at school: lectures and the inevitable foreboding quizzes and exams to see how much one actually cared about a future. Friends meet up with together for lunch and eventually the day was over topped off with a nice quiet ride home. The moment Romulus stepped through the doors of the Black Manor he headed straight for his room and placed his school work down next to his desk.

_Good thing there's just reading to do tonight…an hour is all I will need._

Romulus closed the door to his room and headed for the far wall, where his large king-sized bed was located. He pressed a small switch on his watch which activated a hidden number panel that opened up in front of him. He inputted the correct sequence of numbers and placed his hand on the gel scanning plate that appeared shortly afterwards. Once the scan was complete, the panel closed and a hidden door slid open on the same wall but on the other side of his bed. He stepped into the elevator that had greeted him as he descended down the bottom most floor of the Black Manor. The 'ding' sound was heard and surely enough, Romulus had reached his destination. The doors opened and his sight was greeted with a high tech lab and three massive computer monitors to his right. Waiting for him in front of the center screen, were his two guardians.

"How was school today Romy?"

"Same old, same old Remy. We still had our daily squabble with Malfoy and his smelly sidekicks."

"That's my boy!" Sirius ruffled Romulus' scruffy hair.

"Well on to business…" Remus' serious tone broke the slightly happy mood. The blond man made his way to the computer screen as he pressed a single button. On the screen, appeared the image of a man in a military outfit.

"Good evening, Sergeant Kline."

"Like wise Dr. Lupin, Sirius, young Romulus."

"What have you got for us today?" said Romulus.

"We've received word that one of Lord Voldemort's right-hand men, Rodolphus Lestrange has high-jacked a Boeing 777 flying from Russia back to England. So far, we have not received word on what his intentions are, but our guess is that he is planning on endangering many lives, possibly with the notion of crashing it or detonating a planted explosive."

"How long ago Sergeant?"

"He has apparently been aboard the plane ever since it departed from St. Petersburg; however we only received news of his recent activity just half an hour ago."

"Where is the plane located now?"

"It is currently flying directly over Northern Germany and so there is still approximately 2½ hours until it arrives in London. Regardless, Lestrange might be planning on crashing the plane right now if we don't put a stop to him! As dangerous as it sounds, we request of you, to help put an end to Lestrange. He has no where to escape should he get captured. We can kill two birds with one stone with your help as well as Agent Godric – if he's willing to do so."

Romulus and his two guardians were a little on edge due to the seriousness of the mission, but either way, innocent lives were on the line and a deranged lunatic had them in his hands.

"Alright…we'll do it!"

"We shall get on it right away Sergeant."

"I knew I could count on you three. Good Luck…and God speed…"

——†——

The jet ride towards the plane was quite the trip, but Padfoot was able to quietly pilot the 'Howler' towards their desired airborne target. Thanks to new-age technology, the small black jet, in contrast with its name was able to fly soundlessly through the air. Godric and Padfoot were quite grateful that the plane was still in one piece and not in a fiery mass of millions – Rodolphus is infamously known to have quite the fetish for fire. Regardless, there wasn't anytime to waste as the plane would arrive in London in less than an hour.

"Godric! Remember, make your way in quietly and apprehend Lestrange without too much rough-housing. We don't want plane to experience any turbulence even if it's form the inside."

"I'm on it! And I'll make sure to contact you or Moony if I have any problems!"

With a nod, Padfoot went back to the controls and activated the retractable corridor from the side of the jet to attach to the door of the plane. That way, when the door was opened, nothing would be sucked out like a hurricane-force vacuum.

——†——

When Godric opened the door, the two flight attendants that were there, gasped in surprise at the dark dressed youth. He quickly hushed them and gently closed the door so that Sirius could detach from the plane and remain on stand-by. He quickly informed the young ladies that he was a member of the secret service, aboard to catch a criminal who has currently high-jacked the plane. The brunette gave a sigh of relief as she told Godric that he's at the back of the plane in First Class. He was also informed that Rodolphus threatened to blow up this plane while it was still in the air if anyone tried to be a hero. Since the plane hasn't exploded yet, Godric safely assumed that the maniac hadn't noticed Sirius nor the 'Howler' through the windows as of yet. He gave the two ladies thankful nods and made his way through the coach walkway.

As he was walking, deciding to refrain from running, Godric noticed a few people were staring at him, giving him similar looks of surprise much like the stewardesses. However, they were obviously over shadowed by the nervous fidgeting, looks of fear and the murmurs of 'we're going to die' from the less-than-calm passengers.

As he approached the velvet red curtain which separated coach from First Class, he heard Rodolphus' voice grow louder.

"The elite among the wealthy…soon you shall all succumb to the glory that is Lord Voldemort."

Godric was kneeling down next to a passenger chair while slightly leaning to his side to hear as much as possible.

_Glory huh? Let's see how your Lord reacts to you once you're behind bars._

Godric then peeked through the side of the curtain ever so slightly just to see what Rodolphus was doing, other than talking. In both of the dark haired man's hands were custom made, silver, 9mm Brownings. He was dressed in a very handsome dark green Armani suit that perfectly matched Voldemort's choice of color. Godric chose to ignore the rest of Rodolphus' threatening speech as it was basically the same 'join me or die' crap, reiterated and rephrased multiple times. Instead, he decided to make his move and use a mini flash bomb to temporarily blind Rodolphus (and some of the passengers, much to his dismay) and seize him. What Godric failed to notice was someone a few seats away – who he thought was just another nervous passenger – creating a message through Morse code.

——†——

Rodolphus gently brought one of his hands up to his ears and listened carefully to the message presented through the tiny earpiece.

_He's…behind…you. To…your…right…_

Rodolphus smirked at the Morse coded message.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, an interesting turn of events has come to fruition…"

Although Rodolphus made a gesture that looked like he was fixing his cufflinks, he was actually activating a tiny switch in one of them.

Back behind the curtain, Godric silently shushed a few of the passengers while pulling out a flash bomb from a panel in his utility belt. He was just about to toss it through the curtain until an awful screeching sound from his head-piece communicator resonated through his ears. He couldn't help but wince and grunt at the terrible noise. He yanked it off and dropped it to the ground. He watched the piece of equipment spark and smoke up a bit.

_Radio frequency interference. Hmph…Padfoot and Moony are probably having a fit right now. _

Godric sighed as he looked at his sizzling communicator.

_But, how could that happen? Any frequencies strong enough to destroy my communicator should be sending the plane into a nose-_

Godric's last thought was cut short when the plane made a heavy jerk and began to tilt sending him flying back and landing on the floor heavily. Screams of pure terror were heard echoing all around him as the plane was indeed caught in a nosedive.

_Dammit!_

——†——

"Godric can you hear me? Godric! GODRIC!" Padfoot switched the channel on his communicator. "Moony, I've lost contact with Godric! The plane has lost control! It's going down!"

"It's alright Padfoot! I'm trying the best that I can to pilot the plane from the base! Although the plane is near Britain, according to its falling trajectory, we can try to have it land on top of the water without having to cause additional damage to surrounding areas. Contact Sergeant Kline at headquarters and tell him to try and intercept and assist me in operating the plane. I will be busy with the pilots, telling them what to do. Over"

As Padfoot heard the connection cut, he made a nervous sigh. There was nothing he could do other than contact the Sergeant. He couldn't leave the jet unattended nor could he help Moony and Godric in halting the doomed plane. If it crashed, then so would his entire world.

He was just about to contact Kline when something caught his eye, on the radar that is. A couple of thousand feet in the water below was a vehicle traveling impressively fast – presumably a speed boat – heading towards the direction of the falling plane. The Sergeant would definitely be interested at this new interference.

——†——

As luggage and bodies began to topple everywhere, Godric struggled to stand up, against the pull of gravity. He wanted to make his way to first class, at least to beat the crap out of Rodolphus for this hell ride. But before he was able to come close to a standing position, he was forcefully yanked up by his hair by Lestrange himself.

"You must be that special agent we've been expecting to heroically save the frightened passengers aren't you?"

Godric was mentally cursing as not only Rodolphus' grip was like pure murder to him, but he wasn't even fazed that the plane was headed towards impending death, ultimately killing him as well if he decided not to escape. Those cold grey eyes sent shivers down his spine and the sly smirk just added to Godric's dislike for the man.

"Hmm…never knew that they made their models so young. And so pretty too"

Godric made a growl and aimed a kick to Rodolphus' stomach, but the older man simply let go of Godric's black locks causing the boy to lose his balance and fall to the ground with a thud.

"And feisty too. You know, they say the creatures with the sharpest claws are the most beautiful in nature. That must make you the most beautiful of them all correct?"

"You bastard!"

Godric whipped out a TASER and activated its electric prongs but Rodolphus had the upper hand.

"Nuh uh little one. Make one wrong move and I can let this plane blow up right now!"

Godric was shocked.

"Hmph…become a martyr rather than surrender to the authorities huh Lestrange?"

"I would gladly kill myself many times over for the glory of my Lord!"

From Rodolphus' watch shot out a string of garrote wire that behaved more like a whip. The sharp thread wrapped around Godric's neck as the owner pulled him up to his feet. It must have been custom made as the razor sharp cord tore apart the turtleneck portion of his top and began to painfully dig into the partially exposed flesh of his neck. Rodolphus then brought one of Godric's hands behind his back, placing his face dangerously close to the boy's ear.

"Join us my pet."

Rodolphus tore off what was left of Godric's turtleneck and began to sensually caress the slightly bleeding skin of the boy's peach-colored neck.

"Mmm…your skills, your guts, and your ethereal beauty will most certainly render our Lord ecstatic. Become one with our Lord's cause and join us to rid this world of impure filth."

As disgusted as Godric felt being violated at the hands of this psycho, he didn't want to give Lestrange the satisfaction that he was succeeding in making him tremble. Since he could hardly move, Godric then did the one thing that he could do without further injuring himself: talk back.

"Hmph…join you guys? On a cold day in Hell!"

Rudolphus was about to retort to the boy but he was left silent as the sound of the falling plane began to lessen and the downward pull of gravity begun to lessen all around. For some strange reason, the plane felt like it was angling itself upwards towards a more horizontal position. Some of the passengers were still screaming but a few others were becoming filled with relief.

"No…"

Godric smirked at Rodolphus' dumb-founded expression.

He was about to elbow the older man in the stomach with his free arm and arrest him but the aircraft made a violent jerk causing passengers everywhere to fall to the ground or towards the nearest chair. Thankfully, the murderous grip of Rodolphus' wire loosened from his neck, allowing him to breathe properly again – albeit with a bleeding scar all around his neck. It took a few moments for Godric to regain his composure – having a few coughs – but a certain scream surprised him.

"NOOOO!!!"

Rodolphus was looking outside one of the plane's windows with the look of pure disbelief and anger on his face: the plane had landed in the water! Everyone began to jump for joy as their lives have been saved. Godric couldn't help but smirk.

_Way to go Moony…_

Rodolphus on the other hand made an insane growl as he fished into his pockets for the detonating switch that would blow up the entire plane right now. Unfortunately for him, Godric aimed a heavy kick to the man's stomach causing him to heave over and fall to the ground. At the same time, Godric bent over and caught the falling switch just before it hit the ground. He had never felt more proud of anything in his life.

After cuffing Rodolphus and rounding up the passengers, Godric was greeted with the most pleasant – if not surprising – sight of the day: the nearby door that opened, revealed a bunch of rescue guards, lifeboats, and Agent Brock.

"Yo!" the other agent greeted with a cheerful smile.

"Y-you!"

——†——

As Brock was helping Godric lead the passengers down to the lifeboats, he struck up a conversation with the young teen.

"Not too shabby. You managed to arrest a highly wanted criminal AND save hundreds of lives in the process."

"Hmph…sucking up already?" Godric had to admit, that being near Brock at this very moment was quite relieving and comforting.

"Just complimenting…"

Although it looked like everyone was safely off the plane, both boys decided to do one final check to see if they missed anyone.

"YOU THINK YOU HAVE WON YOU BRATS?! THINK AGAIN!"

Rodolphus amazingly ripped apart his handcuffs and beat up the guards that were holding him.

"NO!"

The man laughed again as he ripped off his suit top to reveal a very well hidden jetpack. The model was quite hi-tech as it was a full body vest with two medium sized boosters along the sides and three smaller boosters at the back. Godric would forever curse how far advanced technology had gotten through the years. Rodolphus took to the air and whipped out a detonating switch from his pocket.

"I-impossible!"

Godric had felt humiliated to overlook the idea that Rodolphus had a second backup switch in case one was destroyed or confiscated from him.

"Say goodbye!"

And just like that, the tail of the plane exploded into a fiery mass.

"Consider yourselves lucky that the explosives didn't occur all at once. But either way, you have only 5 minutes until the entire plane is destroyed! Long live our Lord!"

Rodolphus sped away as the airplane continued to explode. Brock began to shout out at the surrounding policemen.

"Ignore him for now he can be caught some other time! Get everyone here as far away from the plane as possible! We don't want any casualties!"

The life guards in all of the inflatable safety boats began to paddle towards the Coast guard ship that was a good distance away from the detonating plane. Brock grabbed Godric's arm to bring them towards the plane door and dive into the water below but the younger boy forcefully pulled it back.

"What are you doing?!"

Godric felt around his neck, wincing at the seething pain that occurred when his fingers grazed against his scars.

"My necklace! The bastard must have ripped it off!"

"Godric WAIT!"

The teen ignored Brock as he ran his way back into the coach walkways to look for his prized possession.

_Five minutes huh? Well two is all I need! I can't lose that necklace! Not now!_

"Dammit…" Brock cursed as he followed Godric back into plane to find him.

——†——

"Where is it? Where is it?! Dammit!"

Godric was scavenging the ground for his treasure until a fiery overhead storage lid fell down and surprised him. The opposite walkway unfortunately exploded, sending him flying back across the seats and heavily slam against the window-laden plane wall.

"Godric!"

Brock went to the fallen boy and picked him up bridal-style.

"You're coming with me whether you like it or not!"

"Wait!"

Brock followed the teen's weakened gaze and saw something on the floor. Brock gently set the boy's feet down – while still holding onto his waist – and picked up the shining object. Godric then yanked the necklace out of Brock's hands and quickly put the charm back around his neck.

"Is-"

"Yes it is! Now let's get the hell out of here!"

Godric tried to run but he stumbled a bit. Thankfully Brock was there to catch him. Without a second thought, he gathered the boy in his arms again and ran for the nearest door as fast as his feet could carry him.

Although they made it to a door, they weren't fast enough as the rest of the plane finally exploded causing the two boys to both fly out of the plane and let go of each other.

——†——

As Godric was sinking further into the cold water, causing his bodily pains to sting like no other, he began to grow tired and drained. His thoughts about his loved ones, his classmates and even Brock lingered on in his mind.

_This…this is it…isn't it?_

The last thing that Godric saw before he finally shut his eyes was a muscular form swimming towards him, extending out a hand.

TBC

——†——

**A/N:** Holy crap I actually finished it! And it's almost as long as chapter 1! Yay! Introduced to Sirius and Remus! This chapter actually had undergone an F-load of revising. I made this chapter extra long and extra suspenseful just for you guys! I hope I got you guys all excited and confused with all that has happened in this chapter! Don't worry! All of your questions – I'm assuming all – shall be answered with later chapters! **Don't forget to R&R if you have the chance!**

Have a wonderful Christmas everyone and see you all in the New Year! Ew…it's almost 2007!

**(1)** Slightly confused about the school uniform? Just try and picture Fate Leingod's 4th costume from the video game, Star Ocean 3: Till the End of Time. That's where I kind of got the picture from.

**(2)** I'm not quite clear on how Britain's system of schooling works. I did some research on it and I'm still confused but I think I got it as close to it as possible.


	4. To Discover

The Secret that We Keep

Chapter 4: To Discover

**A/N:** SUPER SORRY TO THE EXTREME! As bad as it sounds, I practically forgot this story ever existed that is until I decided to re-read the first four HP books in preparation for the HP5 movie coming out this July (SO PSYCHED!). When I stumbled upon the words 'Cedric' and 'Diggory' in that order, in the _Prisoner of Azkaban, _memories of this story began to flood back at full force. That was when I had a massive 'Oh sh' moment.

On top of that, I recently returned home from vacation where I spent the last two weeks lounging it up in the Big Apple with a friend. IT WAS FRICKIN' AWESOME! Sooo much money has left my bank account because of it (breaks down and cries) but it was well worth it though…YAY FOR THE POOR UNIVERSITY STUDENT BUDGET!

**Disclaimer:** The obvious characters, places and ideas belong to J.K Rowling. The things that belong to me will be reference in footnotes at the very end of the corresponding chapter that they are first mentioned in.

——†——

Screams of terror were echoing all around him, and yet their diminished volumes made it seem as though they were off in the distance; so clear and yet so faint. The scent of smoke in the air was heavy and the heats of the growing embers were making him uncomfortably hot. He wanted to open his eyes and see the terrible sight for himself (assumed from what his nose and ears picked up), but the gentle crib that was embracing him warmly and comfortably was preventing him from doing such a thing.

As the screams the heat and the smoke faded away from his senses into nothingness, his ears were greeted with a few new noises: heavy breathing, a heart beat and two youthful voices. One sounded strong yet defeated, where as the other was choppy and devastated. His entire body felt like it was trembling, and yet he wasn't.

_Is…is someone…holding me?_

Moments later, he felt the prickling wetness of an unknown liquid drip down in uneven patterns on his cheeks. And then it all came together; tears of despair…from someone who was holding him in their arms.

"Shhh…don't cry…please don't cry. You might wake him up."

"S-sorry…it…it's just that I….c-can't b-bel-believe that…t-this…"

"Shh…it's okay…it's okay…don't say anymore…you need your strength…" Just then, the sounds of distant emergency sirens began to inform them of their presence.

"Before we continue any further…I have one more thing to do. Can you wait for me here?"

"Y-yes…" The person who was holding him cleared their throat. "I-I can…"

"Don't worry…I will be back shortly."

He didn't know how long it had been since he was left with the gentle rocking, the steady breathing of his holder, and the far-off sirens to be his only forms of company; but he was certain that it wouldn't be long until the other stranger returned. As if on cue, the gradually rising sound of feet against concrete indicated the return of said stranger.

"Come on love…let's get out of here. I don't want the little pup to hear it."

"Alright…"

After being jerked around a bit, resulted from the running that the person who was holding him was doing, he felt them come to a complete stop. Seconds later, the faint sound of an explosion in the distance invaded his hearing. He also heard the combined sighs of the two strangers in addition to the tighter but gentler hold on his body.

"I…it's really gone…all of it…all of them…"

"That bastard will get what's coming to him…I'll personally see to it that he falls by my hands. This is unforgivable!" Just then, he felt a different set of hands gently touch his face. "Don't worry little pup…we'll continue to be the home and the family that was mercilessly taken away from you…I'm sure of it…here…I got something that belongs to you." He felt the coldness of a strange object being placed around his neck.

"We made a promise…and the time has come for us to fulfill it."

"We're bringing you home…Harry…."

——†——

Godric's eyes shot open as he took in a sharp gasp of air. Stunned from all that he had heard in his dream, he placed a hand over his heart to try and sooth down its rapid beating. It took him a few moments to realize that even though his eyes were clearly open, all he could see was black – possibly resulted from the object wrapped around his eyes. He felt his heart stop when he also realized that the cold hardness of the plastic and metal that belonged to his previous identity-preserving visor was no longer there. Instead, it was replaced with something a lot softer and a bit warmer.

Moving with the impulse of panic running through his body, Godric began to rapidly feel around his head and face just to be sure that the assumptions of his lost visor were wrong. Unfortunately, he felt the light and partially fluffy material of what seemed to be cloth; possibly a night mask or a headband. Godric heard the echoing sound of approaching footsteps and felt his chest tighten. He had no idea where his real visor was so he couldn't exactly remove the mask upon consequence of having his identity blown; although it was a little redundant now as whoever was given the task of removing his visor had already been given that privilege. Furthermore, he had no idea where he was, period.

_One peek…just one quick peek to see if I can find something large nearby to hide behind._

Godric raised the part of the headband covering his right eye and looked around. What he saw surprised him, but not by much. He was greeted with the surroundings of a high tech laboratory. The room he was in was glowing with a dim but enticing electric blue hue; accompanied by the frequent beepings of what he assumed came from the masses of technologically advanced machinery situated all around him. A quick glance above made him notice large collection of stalactite and rock. Strangely enough, although it was a little bit smaller, this unknown laboratory Godric was brought to, gave him a slight 'homely' feeling as it greatly reminded him of the lab that he corresponds to for his missions.

Without even realizing that he spent too much time looking around, a new voice interrupted his thoughts.

"You're awake! I was starting to get a little worried."

His entire body froze. Although the voice came from behind him, Godric was presented with the highly uncomfortable feelings of shock and embarrassment. He was only able to mutter out one single word.

"B-brock…?"

The light laugh confirmed it. "The one and only! And don't worry about the whole headband thing. Your eyes will forever remain a mystery to me." Godric let out a very deep breath. "Here…" The young teen felt an object being placed in his hands; it was his visor. "And to prove just how adamant I am about having your identity remain to yourself, I'm going to keep my back turned until you give the word that it's safe."

Still keeping his back to Brock, Godric asked. "Wait, how were you able to remove my visor without even looking at me."

"Simple…I basically stood behind you like I'm doing right now." Godric's right eye twitched as he heard another light hearted laugh from the older agent. His face also became slightly pink but thankfully Brock wasn't able to see it. Although unknown to the young brunette, Brock did in fact notice the light blush on the younger boy's face and secretly smirked.

As he cleared his throat, Godric undid the headband around his eyes and hastily replaced it with his beloved visor. He turned around on the futuristic lab cot that he was sitting on so that he properly faced the older spy. "Alright…you can look now."

As Brock turned around to face the young teen, Godric continued talking.

"So…um…what exactly happened after the explosion…?" The older spy made a small sigh.

He began to tell his younger partner – although it was only a one-sided label – about the aftermath of the explosion; going into detail of what he thought caused the young brunette to pass out for a little under two hours.

"I see…" Godric held a stern look on his face and zoned out for a bit.

"Oh…I almost forgot." Brock handed Godric a smooth steel box.

"What's this?"

"Why don't you open it?" When Godric fulfilled that request, he stifled a gasp.

"My necklace! B-but how did…"

"No need to worry. I just got it cleaned up for you. At first I did it because of the small film of gunk that was encrusted on it but instead I somehow managed to end up cleaning up more of it than I expected. Apparently that necklace of yours had a fairly thin coating of bronze to cover up the true nature of its composition: gold."

Godric continued to stare at the piece of jewellery sitting in the velvet confinements of the box in his hands. He couldn't help but wonder why his necklace was in fact made out of gold instead of the bronze that he had initially believed it to be.

"Um…pardon my intrusion, you don't need to answer me if you don't wish to do so but if you don't mind me asking, where did you get that necklace?"

Godric hesitated for a bit but he decided to comply with the older spy's question and answer it. After all, answering a simple question (but not giving away too much information) was the least he could do for having his life saved.

"Well…to be honest, I've had this thing for as long as I can remember. I've been told by my guardians that it was mine ever since I was born."

Brock couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at this. "You guardians? You mean…you-"

"Yeah…" Godric gently placed the box down beside him, with the necklace still inside of it. "I was adopted."

Brock sighed in sympathy. "Yeah…I know what you mean." Godric looked back at the brunette questionably. "Well…not exactly. I mean, I still knew who my parents were, that is until they were murdered when I was a teenager."

Brock knew that he had to bend the truth just slightly, considering that as a spy, any obvious personal information that they expose to a non-confidant could possibly be used to trace their identity. In spite of his desires to acquaint himself with the enigmatic young spy, he still had to be careful. Godric may only be a teenager (assuming so) but he was also a fellow spy, and appearances are always deceiving.

"I guess…that's something that the both of us have in common." Brock nodded in understanding. "So…have you been living by yourself ever since?"

"Direct-family related…yes. But overall it hasn't been too bad; I can still get by well enough. What about you? Since you mentioned that you were adopted, do you still keep in contact with your parents?"

"U-uh…I…um…" Godric trailed off and looked to the side with a slight pained look on his face. After observing the younger boy's reaction, Brock assumed that he hit a very personal spot.

"I'm sorry! I um…I didn't mean to make you upset."

"No…no don't worry about it." Godric somehow couldn't stop himself from elaborating. "I never knew who my real parents were. Been told that they died in a car crash when I was only a few months old."

"I…I'm sorry…"

"Like I said…don't worry about it." Godric's voice slightly hitched. His head snapped up when he felt gentle hands gripping on to his shoulders.

"Listen…I know that you've mentioned to me countless times before about having hell having a better chance at freezing over than us being partners, but at least promise me this. We still may not know enough about each other to even consider us as being acquaintances. Heck for all we know, we might not even be on the same side. The only times when we actually do encounter each other are when we're on duty. Neither of us knows of what the other looks like given the nature of what we do. But given the fact that we have saved each others lives in the face of danger and more recently have revealed hidden truths to the other so absent-mindedly…well…what I'm trying to say is…that…Godric?"

"Y-yeah?"

"Just know…that I am someone who you can turn to, if you ever feel the need to talk to someone."

Although the majority of his conscience was telling himself that 'Agent Brock' was still an untrustworthy joke of a spy, a very small part of him believed in every single word that the older spy had said. The fact that he revealed something personal to someone who was still essentially a complete stranger didn't quite bother him as much as it was supposed to. Brock gave off an aura of gentleness that told Godric that he was at least sincere.

"Um…thank you…Brock…"

"Oh and one more thing…"

Brock gently the placed a small watch-resembling object in Godric's hands.

"My communicator!"

"Shut down. It received quite a fair bit of damage resulted from the trace amounts of water found within the circuits. My guess is that it initially cracked sometime during the plane explosion. And well…you can probably guess where the water came from."

Godric stared at the object.

"Is it still-"

"Oh no don't worry I was able to get it fixed. Sorry, I should have said that sooner." Brock gave a slightly bashful laugh. "Nothing that a little TLC and some expensive machinery won't fix right? Some parts needed replacing but they were just simple resistors, capacitors, inductors…you know…basic stuff. The screen and some of the diodes had a few cracks in them too so I just replaced them as well with a few more 'modernized' versions."

Godric turned on his communicator and noticed that the small display screen presented the digitized text in a very trendy electric blue colour, as compared to the somewhat plain light green colour that it used to be. The young teen was left speechless.

"B-brock…I…."

"Hey no sweat! You were knocked out long enough for me to complete all of this. To be honest, it actually gave me something to do rather than just waiting around for you to wake up."

"B-but…how…?"

"Like I said…TLC and expensive machinery…besides, it's a hobby. Repairing and/or upgrading gadgets and appliances are what I do best."

Godric couldn't fight back the blush that was creeping up on to his face. Although he still sort of viewed Brock's skills as a spy to be somewhat elementary, his skills as a mechanic made up for it immensely. Sure he had his own access to futuristic technology but even the equipment in Padfoot and Moony's lab wasn't as impressive as Brock's. Godric was about to continue showing his gratitude for the older spy until his communicator have a slight beeping sound. Godric looked back up at Brock with uncertainty, but he was greeted back with an understanding nod.

"Go…your commanders are probably worried sick about you."

Godric let out a sigh of defeat and quietly nodded. He fastened the communicator back on to his wrist and grabbed the necklace that was still seated on the velvet interior of the steel case. But before he even touched the piece of jewellery, Brock's voice stopped him.

"Take the case as well. Think of it as a paring gift. Well…that and the fact that I really need to get rid of it. Heaven knows when I'll be able to get around to a cleaning day around here."

Brock gave a light-hearted laugh while Godric gazed at the open case with uncertainty. Slowly but surely, the teen was able to close up the box (with the necklace still inside of it) and gather it up in his arms.

"Now follow me…we're going to take one of the more fancy ways out of here."

Brock nodded and escorted his younger companion towards a platform which was actually their mode of transportation towards the exit at the very end of The Cavern. This exit in particular was normally used whenever Brock departed by jet. One could only image how long it would take to reach the end by foot. Once they reached the end, an elevator opened up just a few feet to their right. After they descended, the boys were greeted to a fairly large cave opening, completely blocked by a waterfall with a small bank just below. Godric assumed that this was the exit that Brock used to arrive and depart by boat as Padfoot and Moony's lab had a similar exit such as this. After they walked along a small pathway which led outside (safely beside the roaring waterfall), the two exchanged one final look at each other.

"I…I'll pay you back…for all that you've done today…I promise."

Brock waved a dismissing hand.

"Don't worry…I'm sure I'll be able to think of something before that time comes. So… until then…take care Godric. And remember my promise…you'll know where to find me."

Godric only half-nodded at this statement. "Wait…I don't even know where this place is. And I don't think you're quite willing to reveal it to me just yet."

"Hey…I took a great risk in bringing you back to my headquarters. Even if you don't know where you are, the moment you depart from here, you'll be able to figure it out eventually. Even though I don't usually gamble with my identity at stake…" Brock gave a light smirk. "I have a feeling that this was a bet that will prove to be quite beneficial to me sometime in the near future. It was worth it."

Godric somehow understood that statement, and his face was graced with a light pink tinge because of it.

"So…do you have your own means of escaping from my clutches?"

Godric shared a laugh with the older spy. "Yeah...I do. Don't worry."

"You know I don't…see you again Godric."

"Good bye for now…Brock…"

Godric operated his jet powered boots and propelled himself up into the air and towards the direction of his home base, but not before waving one final time to the older spy. As Cedric watched the young teen fly away, he had a few thoughts on his mind.

The first was the satisfying feeling of believing that he and Godric were slowly moving from indifference to a quiet friendship. Second, was having the suspicion that he had seen the design of Godric's necklace somewhere before. And third, was the strange phenomenon of how the young boy's hair sort of shifted colors from midnight black to light brown (with a few blond highlights) every now and then when his visor was off.

——†——

**A/N:** Alright, alright I know an awful chapter after like 6 months of collecting dust. But I promise to have chapter 5 up by no later than next month! Even if I get zero reviews for this chapter! I originally intended to have another large chunk of story to appear after the last paragraph but I figured that it would be a lot better to end it off here.


	5. These Thoughts

The Secret that We Keep

Chapter 5: These Thoughts

**A/N:** Long story short, my 2-year long hiatus can be attributed to both my junior and senior years of post-secondary coupled with part-time work. Being responsible sucks, but I know that it is no excuse to simply ignore this story when it was still in the process of attracting a gradual following. Hope I can still keep the selected few of you interested.

You'll all have to forgive me if I don't update this story as soon as most of you would prefer. I'm still trying to rekindle my two other works-in-progress that have also been sitting on the back burner for an extended period of time. I've jumpstarted one of my stories just last month and unfortunately for me, I've lost a HUGE following because of my hiatus – an incredibly low number of hits and an even lower number of reviews compared to when it was still on some readers' hot lists.

**Disclaimer:** The obvious characters, places and ideas all belong to J.K Rowling. The things that belong to me will be reference in footnotes at the very end of the corresponding chapter that they are first mentioned in. This story implies nothing about the characters nor does the plot of the story have any effect on the books themselves. This story is pure fiction.

——†——

As he listened only half-heartedly to Professor Umbridge's **(1) **lecture on the ever interesting topic of Aristotelian Philosophy and Predicate Logic, Romulus' mind continued to linger on the events that transpired only a few days ago. Not just because of his one-on-one and almost intimate episode with Agent Brock but also because of the reaction that he got from Moony and Padfoot from the moment that he stepped within the doors of the 'Den' – the name of their headquarters. As emotional as it was, Romulus couldn't help but feel a little conflicted when it came to his duties as a spy, his safety as a teenager, but most prominently his desires as a human being.

——†——

"Where in the world have you been?! Do you honestly know worried sick we were trying to track you for hours on end?!"

"Sirius enough! Technicalities aside, the most important thing is that he is now home."

Romulus stayed rooted to his spot while Remus continued to hug him almost in desperation. His younger guardian looked back into his eyes with a worried but nonetheless gentle expression.

"We almost thought we had completely lost you Romy. After the channel frequency had been severed from your communicator, all Sirius could do was keep a close eye on the plane by piloting the Howler as close as he could to the aircraft without damaging it."

Remus was about to continue but Sirius butted in before he could.

"After the plane landed in the water, which I assume was your doing Remus, I continued to keep the Howler airborne couple of miles away so that once all of the passengers had been safely evacuated, along with that bastard Lestrange's arrest from the National Guard, the two of us could withdraw back to the Den without causing too much of a disturbance among the rescued. There's nothing more irritating than sitting on a raft in the water while succumbing to the gale-forced winds and the ear-splitting batter of helicopter propellers."

Romulus couldn't help but lightly grin at Sirius' exasperated tone.

"Well…you could imagine my surprise after witnessing that idiot Lestrange's trump card. After the explosion, I couldn't really see much other than the fire and smoke that threatened to endanger everyone within close proximity. There was absolutely no way that everyone was located a safe distance away from the detonative area, some yes, but everyone? No. I…couldn't exactly see where you were from my position in the Howler but I just assumed that you would return to me regardless. When Lestrange activated that bomb of his…"

Both Remus and Romulus looked up into Sirius' pained stormy grey eyes. "Sirius…" The black-haired judge spent a few moments of silence to himself, simply formulating his thoughts while trying to repress the anxiety that had threatened to turn him into a crying mess in front of his loved ones.

"The Howler wasn't equipped with a raft or a lifeboat and because of its nature as a regular helicopter, it wasn't built to land on water like a hydroplane." Sirius let out a hard sigh. "I…I feared the worst…"

Without even a second thought, Romulus quietly made his way over to Sirius' contemplating form and embraced him tightly. Sirius was slightly surprised as the sudden contact from his son but it didn't take long before the elder brunette returned the embrace with equal ferocity.

"I'm sorry father…I…I didn't know."

Sirius made a sniffle. "No, no…don't be. R-remy is right. I mean, the important thing is that you're safe now. You're here, alive and back home…and that's all that matters."

Sirius continued to embrace his son tenderly.

"Romy, I know that you must have been through a lot, both physically and mentally, from the last mission and you're probably eager to call it a night but if you don't mind me asking…where have you been all this time?"

Romulus looked back into Remus' inquiring eyes. He knew that this question was going to be asked of him sometime soon since his return back home and he was prepared to provide them with the appropriate answer. While the young brunette was pretty confident that lying would just get him in trouble, as his first attempt at lying to both of his parents at the tender age of 6 had backfired immensely, Romulus was certain that telling Sirius and Remus the truth about his whereabouts would just cause them to worry more. Finding himself alone and almost exposed, identity-wise, within the secret underground hideout of a complete stranger would probably not go so well with Remus, and even more so with Sirius – the latter had a much more outspoken "mother hen" complex in comparison to the former.

While Romulus reasoned that informing his guardians of Agent Brock's "spy" status could lessen the blow, the brunette still had doubts that it would turn out the way that he wanted. He could just imagine Sirius' reaction now:

_Just because he told you that he is a spy, doesn't mean that he truly is! A young man is only as true as the words that he speaks! You could have died! You could have been seen!_ **(2)**

While Romulus was certain that Sirius wouldn't have overreacted as much as his imagination would have pegged him to, there was a certain amount of belief and validity to his brief mental episode. In the espionage business, the truth is almost always covered up by another layer. You may think that the answer is within reach but before you even realize it, another curveball is through in your direction and you're back at square one. All it takes is a single, convincing lie to disguise fiction as a fact, a hoax as a valid truth, or even a villain as a hero. So, Romulus chose his words carefully.

"Well…I don't really know too much about what happened. Thankfully I wasn't caught within the true bulk of the explosion. I really wouldn't have much of a face if I was now would I?"

Remus lightly smiled at his son's attempt at a joke, in light of the situation, but Sirius' unchanging expression made Romulus skip the mood lightener and head straight for the facts.

"W-well…um, after the Bowring's initial explosion, I immediately discovered that I had somehow lost my necklace which normally never leaves my person. While the plane was still airborne, Lestrange had bound my neck with an unusually strong strand of garrotte wire. And to prove just how strong it was…"

Romulus gently lifted up his shoulder length honey brown locks with his right hand, pulled the collar of his turtleneck down with his right hand, and raised his chin up to give his guardian's a better view of his neck. To Sirius and Remus' shock, their son's neck had been painfully branded with multiple shallow rings of lacerated flesh – almost appearing as if the injury had become a makeshift choker. The area around the wound was incredibly pink and certain areas were still bleeding but only lightly.

"Romy…"

"Yeah, and this was WITH my collar all the way up." Sirius and Remus eyed him suspiciously. "In case you're wondering, I changed tops as soon as I stepped foot into the den. What's the point of a turtleneck without the neck? Anyway, after finding out that my necklace had been missing, I had assumed it was still left somewhere on the plane."

Out of no where, Remus let out a startled gasp while Sirius nearly jumped out of his chair.

"You almost lost your necklace?!," Sirius stuttered a little bit in his speech, "A-and you went back into a burning plane?! What in the world were you thinking?!"

Romulus didn't know what had come over him, but his father's loud accusation had sparked something within him.

"Hey, I went back to retrieve it! WHAT DID YOU THINK I WAS DOING?!"

Sirius stood silently shocked while Remus tried to calm the two of them down.

"It's just like you said to me Sirius," Romulus pulled out the trinket from underneath his shirt and left it to dangle from his neck from the outside, "While my life as a spy is in constant danger due to the nature of the work, it HAS to accomplished. And furthermore, I am to NEVER let this necklace out of my sight for it is the ONLY thing that I have left to remember my mother by, remember?!"

Sirius was dumbstruck. "R-rom…I-I'm sorry."

Romulus sighed. "It's fine Sirius, you were just concerned. But even though I'm 18 now, almost 19, that doesn't mean that I still don't wonder about her from time to time."

"Romy…I-" Romulus continued on with his explanation amidst Sirius' unheard remark.

"Anyway, long story short, I found the necklace, made my way out to the exit, the plane blew up a second before I even got a chance to jump out of it, landed in the water, woke up some 45 minutes to an hour later in a medical ward next to some military guy. Didn't really catch his name. I snuck out behind his back when I told him that I needed a glass of water."

His guardian's eyes him suspiciously but the brunette simply continued on with some last-minute logic.

"Hey…I didn't have time to care about where I was or who I was with. I was left completely unguarded while I was unconscious. Who knows if someone had taken off my visor and seen my real face during that time frame! It may have been around my head when I woke up, but it certainly doesn't take much for someone to just lift it off and take a quick peek at the man behind the mask right? Luckily for me, my home radar was still functioning and so were the jets in my combat boots. As soon as I got out, I made my way home."

Realizing that the evening had gone on long enough, Romulus dismissed himself from the company of his guardians and made his way back to his room to crash for the night. Homework could wait until tomorrow.

——†——

Ever since then, Romulus had been deliberately avoiding his guardians in order to push away the awkwardness of that evening. Not only was he physically tired, but he definitely needed the time to just sit with his own thoughts and just reflect upon himself. Despite being the son of a successful neurosurgeon and his court judge life partner, he was also one of the youngest spies ever hired under the British government. Just what kind of a person was he? Why couldn't he just live the simple teenage life like his friends and fellow classmates? What was his mother like before her death? Why had Brock been occupying his thoughts more often than they should?

When it came down to the basics, Romulus believed that he was pretty much like every other boy his own age out there. Despite being more privileged than others, apart from his wealthy up bringing and his aristocratic good looks, he still enjoyed the simple pleasantries of life that the world had to offer. He liked sports, he was athletic, he was surrounded by a wonderful circle of friends, he enjoyed music, the arts, had fair grades…the simple life. But was it really all that simple now that he lives a double-life? One persona by day, another by night. It seemed much more complex than it should…and it was.

Personality-wise, Romulus never really viewed himself as a vain or haughty person but he did take pride in his blessings and continues to cherish all of them while he still had them. But even though he had been given so much, he still felt like he was missing something – what exactly, he was quite unsure of at this time. He felt that he needed more of some abstract and ambiguous notion that even the slightest thought of it would make him hunger for more. He wouldn't call himself greedy for thinking so but perhaps he was. He preferred the more appropriate term "curious" whenever he thought of the other and less appealing.

As for his mother, from what he had been told, Lilandra Lupin, was a woman of peerless beauty who was also gentle, loving, hard-working, healthy and dedicated to her passions – the traits of the seemingly perfect woman. And yet through it all, Romulus believed that his mother was just so much more than that. It just seemed odd to him that this apparently flawless woman would just die during childbirth and simply vanish from existence from then on. Remus, Romulus' biological father, showed pictures of his mother from when she was still alive. Elegant red hair, piercing green eyes, fair and gentle features. Yes she was beautiful but he somehow had a feeling that she was much more than just his birthmother who had a simple upbringing. In fact, a large majority of Remus' friends and cohorts have hardly ever mentioned his mother ever since Romulus had discovered that he had only one living biological parent – apart from Sirius but he would just give the same vague answers back in return. And as weird as it was, Romulus couldn't help but stare just a little bit longer at the man with the glasses, blue eyes, and scruffy black hair that can be found in nearly all of the family photos involving Sirius, Remus and his mother. It was a weird feeling, but he somehow had a feeling that the bespectacled man might have better answers than his guardians. Romulus had never even thought about asking his guardians about the man in the picture before until now. It would have to be the top priority on his to-do list within the next few days or so.

And finally, there was Brock. Sure the older man may have not given off the impression that he was the most sought after gift under the Christmas tree but like himself, Brock was also a spy. Covers, secret identities, acting – all of that was a crucial element to succeeded in the world of the modern espionage. Maybe Brock wasn't just the handsome yet simple-headed spy that he had been portraying all this time. Sure discovering the elder spy's hidden talent for machinery was nothing short of a surprise for the seemingly trap-prone basket case but there really wasn't much that Romulus could go on to completely believe that Brock was as 1-Dimensional as his instincts have labelled him as.

And on top of that, Romulus couldn't help but blush at the pseudo-intimate moments that had been shared between the two of them during their brief encounters. A small handful of the observances that Brock exuded nearly made Romulus lose the grip on his hard-worked "lone wolf" attitude. His musky scent, his broad and comfortably firm chest, his strong and supportive arms, his brilliant but partially shy smile, his gentle and sometimes pleading voice; Romulus let out a groan of frustration which unfortunately didn't go unnoticed.

"_Hem hem_. I beg your pardon Mr. Black but do you find my lecture's uninteresting?"

Romulus's head shot up in surprise as his widened eyes scanned his surroundings. He practically forgot that he was currently sitting in class learning about philosophy (or something…) during the middle of a school day.

"I-I…um…"

"Turn your book to page 147 and answer problem 3 out loud to the rest of the class. Should you get it wrong, then you will have earned yourself a detention with me during your lunch break."

Romulus blushed in embarrassment at faint snickers and 'oohs' of suspense that were heard amongst his cohorts.

"Y-yes Professor…" With a slight clearing of his throat, Romulus flipped his "Aristotelian Fundamentals: 5th Edition" text book to the appropriate page and braced himself for impact.

——†——

"You know mate I WOULD like to sympathise with you, really I do but let's be honest even I find it more amusing than disappointing."

"Oh shove it Dean."

"Blimey Romulus. I mean, what was so important that you completely zoned out in Lundgren's class? She does have that 'reputation' of hers you know…and not the good kind."

Romulus let out a sigh of frustration as he let his forehead rest on the cold and closed door of his locker. With the campus-wide ring of the bell signifying the much sought after lunch break, the entire student body mass of the Rowling Academy **(3)** scurried about the hallways in eager anticipation – be it for food, fun or both. While most students were ecstatic to hear the sound of the much revered lunch bell after a tiring morning of lectures, Romulus Black on the other hand was filled with a sense of dread – primarily due to his infamous detention from one Professor Lundgren.

"As much as I'd like to tell you my dear friend Neville or the rest of you for that matter, all of you are getting a big fat 'no' for not wallowing in my pain with me." Romulus let out an exasperated sigh. "Who in the right mind would even consider instating a Philosophy course in a secondary school? Or better yet, remind me again as to why I'm taking it in the first place? With UMBRIDGE nonetheless!"

"Oh don't be such a sourpuss Black. First of all, we aren't just ordinary students in an ordinary school. This is the Rowling Academy we're talking about! We're pretty much guaranteed a job right after graduation without the ugly face of University hanging over our heads!"

Seamus did have a point…

"Well…as for taking the philosophy course with Umbridge, from what I remember correctly, in your case, it was either THAT or Advanced Chemistry with Snape. And since Umbridge just started working here this semester, all of us thought that she would have been a better choice than that giant walking crooked nose with the greasy-hair." Said Ron.

Slight snickers were heard all around.

"But anyway, let's move on to the good stuff! So Romy, what or rather WHO was it that you were thinking of that made you draw a blank in Umbridge's class? Was it Granger? Or Abbot? OOOH! Or how 'bout Wood or Malfoy?!"

"First of all Seamus, don't call me Romy. Only my parents are granted that privilege. And second, Hermione is like a sister to me and thinking of her like _that_ would be just plain weird. I don't really know Hannah all that well and I've only seen her like twice so that's not really grounds for fantasizing. And just because Oliver's graduation and rugby team photo from 5 years ago are still on campus, doesn't mean that he still walks around the hallways with us. Finally, both Wood and Malfoy are guys."

Romulus was greeted back with a shrug from his scruffy Irish friend **(4)**.

"So? At least you gotta admit that they're not too bad on the eyes."

"Alright Finnegan, just because you don't mind knocking boots for either team doesn't mean that you need to keep indirectly pestering Romulus for some action in the locker room after hours."

All of the boys shared merry laughs.

"Oh lighten up Weasley. You're just jealous because our dear friend Black over here will only ever see you as nothing more than a friend. I on the other hand am so wonderfully blessed to be seen as a 'friend with benefits' kind of guy, aren't I right Romy?"

Romulus rolled his eyes at Seamus' sad attempt at flirting. Ever since Seamus started dropping hints that he was a swinger a few years back, Romulus and the rest of his friends had always been supportive of his friend's unconventional 'coming out.' Seamus wouldn't necessarily call himself as gay or even bi for that matter when ever questions about his sexuality came up – those words were just too 'label-y for his liking. The sandy brunette's response mainly consisted of '_What can I say? I'm young, I'm 18 and I'm basically uninhibited. Anything above the waist is fair game with me_.' In a nutshell, Seamus was more than open to experimenting before the idea of 'settling down with the one' would sink in. With that logic in mind, Romulus Black had always been the subject to Seamus' "fair game" on more than one occasion. It was amusing at times but a joke could only stay fresh for so long before growing just plain repetitive.

"Of course you are Shay."

"See? What'd I tell ya?" Seamus was greeted back with a scoff from Ron.

"Alright well as much as I'd love to stick around with you guys, really I do, I gotta haul my sorry hide over to Umbridge or else I'll be doing more time tomorrow…and I REALLY don't want to spend anymore time with that Harpy than necessary."

Romulus' friends nodded in understanding, for they too have incurred the agonizing pain that is Professor Dolores Umbridge's mere presence.

"Say no more Romy. We'll catch up with you in Phys Ed later this afternoon. I'll be sure to save a spot for you on my team if we're doing relays again."

"That's NOT fair Finnegan! You know that you and Romulus are two of the fastest blokes in our year!"

"Exactly! AND I'd also be able to a get a sweet view of Black in our school gym shorts the whole time."

"Augh! I did NOT need to know that."

"Yes you did! And you LOVE IT!"

"Take it easy Romulus!"

"I will. Catch you guys later!"

As Romulus watched Dean, Seamus, Neville, and Ron walk away, he couldn't help but feel more and more alone with each retreating step. With a heavy sigh, Romulus grabbed a few of his binders, his books, and his lunch and marched his way over to classroom 305 for the longest hour and a half of his life.

——†——

"Come in."

The stern and easily recognizable voice of Professor Umbridge rang through Romulus' ears and sent a cold shiver down his spine. As he slowly made his way through the doorway, Romulus was greeted with a very interesting surprise: he was not alone in his detention. Sitting with surprising obedience in one of the central desks was none other than Draco Malfoy, silently completing homework without so much as a glance towards his direction.

"Take your seat next to Mr. Malfoy, Black. Your task will be to complete a 500 word essay which recites but briefly explains the fundamental rules of sentential logic and their purpose for determining validity **(5)**. You are to submit it to my desk by no later than the end of your lunch break, which is scheduled for 1:30 this afternoon. However, if you have been pay attention to my lectures, which I highly doubt that you were judging from your actions this morning, but in the event that you have, your essay should take no longer than 45 minutes. No talking whatsoever! Are we clear?"

Romulus gulped at the large woman's highly unfriendly presence.

"Y-yes professor."

"Good. Now take you seat and get started."

With a heavy sigh, Romulus opened up his books, took out a sheet of looseleaf and began to write.

——†——

It was about 35 minutes into the eerily silent lunch break when Umbridge made a sudden announcement to the two teens.

"I must depart for a quick staff meeting in the teacher's lounge. Black, Malfoy, neither of you are to leave this room under ANY circumstances, and that includes bathroom breaks."

Romulus' eyes and mouth widened in disbelief.

"B-but-!"

"But NOTHING Black! I want that essay finished by the time I return. No exceptions! The same goes for you too Malfoy!"

"Yes professor."

"Hmph!"

With a snooty upturn of her nose, Umbridge grabbed some of her belongings and departed for the teacher's lounge, subsequently locking the classroom door upon her retreat. At the immediate sound of the door locking shut, a certain blond grinned in amusement.

"At last. I thought that old cow would never leave."

Romulus silently looked over at Draco and noticed that he was staring straight back at him with a challenging expression. Feeling the tension rise between the two of them, Romulus simply continued the exchange of simple pleasantries for the sake of getting back to work.

"Y-yeah…finally huh?"

It all happened within span of a few seconds and before he knew it, Draco had made his way over to Romulus' position, somehow unnoticed, and was pressing his lean and slightly taller body almost flush up against Romulus' own without showing any signs of restraint. The action left Romulus lightly blushing in surprise, embarrassment, and slight arousal, much to his dismay.

"M-malfoy, what the hell are you doing?!"

The brunette was greeted back with a sly grin. "What does it look like Black?" Draco placed his hands down on the desk behind Romulus, effectively trapping the slightly shorter brunette within his arms with no where to escape other than by brute force. "I'm ensnaring my prey."

"Y-your prey?" Romulus found himself slightly offended. "What do you think I am?! Some unintelligent rodent?!"

"Oh I think that you are more than that Black…" Draco grabbed his chin and forced him to look directly into his steely grey eyes. "MUCH more…" The undeniable lust that was dripping from Malfoy's seductive voice was unbelievable. Without so much as a warning, the blond leaned in towards Romulus and tantalizingly nipped the side of the brunette's neck, just below his ear lobe.

"M-malfoy…"

Romulus shivered at the sensual contact. A part of him craved his supposed "arch-nemesis" to continue with the highly pleasurable sensation. Another part of him was screaming to push the blond away. While the action wasn't completely unpleasant, there was that hidden, secret part of him that desperately wanted to push him away. Draco's touch was foreign. Draco's touch was only out of unbridled lust. Draco's touch…

_Was nothing like Brock's…_

Romulus' eyes widened at the sudden epiphany. As a result, the surprising realization caused him to push Malfoy away quite forcefully on impulse. The brunette watched in slight regret as he the blond painfully collided with a few of the desks that were located behind him, ultimately falling to the ground with a painful thud.

"AHH!"

"Oh God!"

Draco clutched a hand to his throbbing elbow and glared up at the startled brunette who was looking down at him with shock written all over his face.

"What the HELL was that for Black?!"

Romulus was at a slight loss for words. "I…I'm sorry." Romulus found himself surprised at the realization that he had just sincerely apologized to Draco Malfoy of all people. "H-here…I'll help you up."

Romulus' offered hand was almost immediately swatted away. "Do NOT touch me Black! You will pay for your insubordination one of these days."

Romulus' mild sympathy was immediately replaced with anger.

"Insubordination?! You came on to ME, NOT the other way around."

Draco scoffed. "Say what you want Black! But you will mark my words, one way or another." And just as fast as it all occurred, Draco sat back down in his desk and went back to his essay, but not before rearranging the misaligned desks without delay.

Romulus was just so full of disbelief with Draco's recent actions that he let out one final venting sigh before returning back to his own essay. Despite being filled with confusion and further dislike for the wealthy blond seated only a few desks away from him, Romulus couldn't help but compare and contrast Draco's physical 'advances' with that of Agent Brock's – the two men in his life who have stirred strange and exciting feelings from deep within his core as of recently. While Malfoy's touch was uninhibited and full of desire, Brock's was gentle, tender, tentative and slightly on the shy side. Malfoy's build was long and lean while Brock's build was firm and muscular but not overly bulky. Malfoy's scent was virtually saturated with the fragrance of high-end, designer-brand cologne while Brock's was musky, manly, natural and rich. Draco's voice was youthful yet mischievous and filled with hidden intention. Brock's voice was mature, refined, charming…and Romulus secretly longed to hear it once again.

It is with these thoughts that Romulus had almost completely left his essay – more of an ultimatum that was painful on the hands – only half-finished. Fortunately, upon Umbridge's return, the brunette was able to complete it with 500 words, exactly. How he actually performed on the paper on the other hand will be left unknown until class with Umbridge again tomorrow morning. Both Romulus and Draco had left the Philosophy instructor's classroom without so much as a second glance to the other – to which Romulus was extremely thankful for. All that had occupied his mind for the rest of the afternoon was his hidden desire to lay both his eyes and his ears on the handsome older spy that had been pleasantly bothering his thoughts ever since their first encounter only one week ago. Time just couldn't move by any slower.

TBC

——†——

**A/N:** I ain't gonna lie, even I was turned on by the second half of this chapter. Now I can probably guess what you're all wondering: I thought this was a Cedric/Harry fic! But this chapter doesn't mention Cedric at all! What it's a Draco/OC fic now? WTF?! All I can say to that is…Stay tuned for chapter 6! And I will be sure to update this story within the month. That's an oath.

**(1)** Ugghh…the return of Umbridge! I just needed a last name that would perfectly describe the bitter and almost nazi-esque teacher that I'm pretty sure all of us have encountered at least once in our life. Surprise, surprise, guess whose name came to mind!

**(2)** One of my favourite quotes from the Harry Potter Movies, specifically from the Chamber of Secrets. The last two tidbits of passage was actually quoted by the ever so loveable Julie Walters who plays Molly Weasley.

**(3)** I sort of wanted to name the school as the Hogwarts Academy, but I thought that might have been just a tad too predictable. And so instead, I named my school after our beloved creator of the Harry Potter series: J.K. Rowling. The woman can do no wrong.

**(4)** I was immediately reminded of "drunken Irish lad" when I wrote this little descriptor for Seamus.

**(5)** It's been like 3 years since I took Philosophy, specifically logic, in University. Not a bad course but it seemed only useful for the credits. You will have to forgive me if I'm stating wrong facts about the subject. It's been a while.


End file.
